Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2023

Description

Lemon, Oak, Spice

"Delightfully fruity with golden peach, pineapple, vanilla, and roasted cashew aromas. It is succulent and soothing in the mouth, delivering supple texture with beautifully balanced acidity, finishing long and tasty. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2024

Classically Hawke's Bay in style, this Chardonnay reveals a fragrant nose of zesty lemon and nectarine, with aromas of fresh baking from subtle French oak. A silken textured mouthfeel unfolds with layers of fruit, delicate oak spice and subtle mealy flavours topped with wonderful acidity.

The 2023 Hawke's Bay vintage was warm with frequent late summer rain presenting a few challenges. Meticulous vineyard management ensure the fruit was able to be harvested early across the region resulting in lovely fruit flavours and fresh acidity.

Fruit from several prestigious Chardonnay vineyards throughout Hawke's Bay feature in this wine. Once harvested and pressed the resulting juice was fermented in a mixture of oak barriques (10% new) and tank with a combination of inoculated and wild yeast. Malolactic fermentation has added weight to the mid palate. Maturation on full yeast lees with regular stirring followed in barrel and tank prior to the wine being blended and bottled.

Food Pairing: A classic match with most white meats, rich seafood dishes, cheese and salads. Also highly enjoyable on its own.