Bilancia Kaikora Vineyard Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2023

Apricot, Lime, Oak

"The 2023 Kaikora Vineyard Chardonnay is salty and spicy, with shaved fennel and salted peach, white flowers, and ground white pepper. The wine is soft through the finish, in watercolour as opposed to oil, and this potentially fits with the wet conditions of the season. This is a remarkable effort given the conditions, and more than that, the year has gifted the wine with levity and lacy detail. This is a lovely wine" Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

The aim is to produce a wine that speaks of Chardonnay. It is a youthful wine, evenly structured with emphasis on a fresh, food-friendly style and balanced palate. Stonefruit and citrus on the nose and palate with texture, character, freshness and a line af acidity through the palate. This wine is ready to drink on release and will continue to develop and fill out for 4 – 6 years.

The 2023 growing season was not without its challenges but Hawke’s Bay shows its finest under duress. The fruit was harvested in good condition with great flavours.

2023 Bilancia Chardonnay was sourced from three Hawke’s Bay vineyards; two at Roys Hill; la collina and Trelinnoe, and a small component from Central Hawke’s Bay, Kaikora, at Ōtāne. The Chardonnay fruit was all hand picked, with each vineyard kept separate as ferments. The fruit was whole-bunch pressed with some of the juice run straight to barrels from the press and some to tank for gentle settling. The juice was fermented in new and older French oak. The wine spent 11 months in oak prior to blending and bottling; there was no fining or cold settling.