WINEMAKING NOTES

The fruit for this wine is a blend of Mendoza (42%), Clone 548 (24%), Clone 15 (21%) and Clone 95 (12%) grown on the sandy silt soils of the lower terrace of the Askerne vineyard. Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed, the juice was transferred to barrel for fermentation. The barrels were a mixture of both wild and inoculated ferments and completed 100% malolactic post ferment.  The wine was subsequently aged for 10 months with lees stirring to add volume and complexity. The final blend has a 29% new French oak component, and 15% 2nd fill.

ANALYSIS

pH 3.43
TA 5.4g/L
Alc 13.5%
RS 2.6g/L

TASTING NOTE

Sweet scented with peach, lemon and hints of tropical pineapple, layered with complex notes of coconut, honied nuts and baked fruits.  The palate has wonderful concentration with tropical and stonefruit flavours on a backbone of rich oak spice and vibrant citrus acidity giving generous length.

AWARDS

Silver NZIWS

93 Points Wine Orbit

From the domaine...

Color white
Grape variety chardonnay
Surface area 1.50 ha
Production 6 330
Share of new barrels 15%
Alcohol 12,5%

The appellation 

Our Puligny-Montrachet mostly comes from a 1.1 ha plot located in the AOC Puligny 1er cru “Les Chalumeaux” which was downgraded to village when it was replanted in 1975 by the INAO because the former owner had brought around 20cm of exogenous soil, which is prescribed by the AOC specifications. It is the only village vine located in the middle of the hillside, in the middle of the 1er Crus. Over the years, both erosion and our organic practices resulted in the roots plunging deeper towards the original terroir. This explains how come our Puligny-Montrachet shows unusual density and complexity for a village wine. The other two plots
are “Les Levrons” and “Boudrières – Nosroyes” for 0.38 ha. 

The wine and the style
After a light settling, the musts are put into 228 and 600-literbarrels to complete the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations. We work with 5 to 20% new barrels with wood coming mostly from Allier, light toasting. The wines are racked about a year
later before being transfered to stainless steel vats for the second phase of their aging in order to retain freshness and minerality.

Vine growing
Organic since 1995 and biodynamic since 2005. All our wines
are certified by Ecocert.

Grape: Chardonnay 

Soil: Steep slopes composed of a sandy marl and limestone.

Age of the vines: 31 years old

Maceration Process: Whole bunch pressed, lightly crushed. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrels, "sur lies" without "batonnage".

Pressing: Pneumatic press

Total elevage: 14 months 

Oak used: 25% New french oak  from Tronçais and Allier forests. Light and long soft toast.

Operations performed during ageing: One racking before bottling

 Filtration:  ining followed by light filtration

#N/A

In the vineyard :
Surface: 1,57 Ha

Exposure: Lower slopes/Multiple exposures

Soil Type: Clay/Limestone

Grape variety: Chardonnay

Size Mode: Single Guyot /Poussard

Growing method: FR-BIO-01 organic certified

Soil cultivation: Straddle ploughing

Harvest: Manual

Year of planting: 1960/1976/1982/1986/2012

WINE MAKING

Fruit was sourced from three sites in the Wairau Valley.  60% of Clones 95 and 40% of Mendoza were used.  No sulphur was added to the juices at the point of extraction which then were fermented spontaneously in a combination of seasoned French oak (90%) and stainless steel (10%).  

TASTE

Aromatics of ripe yellow citrus, nectarine and brioche.  A finely textured palate with an array of flavours from Meyer lemon to stone fruits with a lively acid to savour.

FOOD MATCH

All kinds of soft cheeses, white meats and rich seafood such as koura (crayfish) and smoked warehou.  

ACID: 6.5 g/l
pH: 3.48
ALC: 13.0%

From the winemakers...

Our Chardonnay comes from an old hillside vineyard in the Southern Valleys region of Marlborough, where clay based loess soils prevail. Larger old barrels have predominantly been used to naturally ferment the wine. Untouched and aged over 14 months, without anything more than a peek in the barrel from time to time, has enhanced the elegance of this wine. Poised, with a delicious mineral backbone this chardonnay has tension, and genorosity at the same time, with a whiff of that classic struck match note that cool climate chardonnay can produce so well.

Suitable for Vegans.

Hand harvested and lightly oaked Chardonnay from Martinborough with floral touches intermingling with pineapple, honey nougat, citrus and baked cheesecake on the nose. The palate is fresh with superb acidity and creamy spiced sweetness.

Tasting notes:

Straw gold yellow. Fine and elegant nose mixing white fruit aromas (pear, quince) with vanilla notes. Fruit driven on the palate, the attack is fresh, followed by a round and supple texture. Flattering oaky notes appear on the aftertaste.

Food matches:

White meat, poultry, salads and pasta.

Winemaking: Night and morning harvest. Gentle crushing of the grapes – short maceration on the skin (between 6 and 12 hours) in order to get aromatic complexity – light pressing – pre-fermenting oxygenation of one part of the Chardonnay to keep freshness – controlled Alcoholic fermentation in vats (18-20°C / 65-68°F)

Soil: A wide variety of soils such as sand, clay, chalk, schist, gravel and pebbles.
Climate: Selection of vines located in the coolest areas of the Languedoc region near Limoux (wide temperature range between cool nights and warm days) and in the Gard region where the weather is warmer. The wine combines the strength and the freshness of the Limo
Aging: Maturation with stirring of the lees.

Fresh, delicate aromas of almond, stone fruit with a hint of old oak. Cirrus is the rounder of the two Chardonnays with lovely ripe, textural tropical stone fruits wrapped with moreish, mouth-filling phenolics.

The aim for this Chardonnay is to retain a fresh structure with a complex palate. It is the vineyards, wild-ferment and barrel characters that make up the complex nose and palate.

This fruit comes from three vineyards; the Taylor Vineyard, which is in the Rapaura area, the Twin Valleys vineyard, which we have been working with since 2003 and a ten rows of Clone 1066 from the Mahi home block.

All of the vines were intensively hand-tended, and the grapes hand-picked and then taken to the winery for whole-cluster pressing. The resulting juice went straight to French oak barrels and fermented with indigenous yeast from the fruit. After fermentation the wine sat on yeast lees for eleven months prior to blending and bottling.

VARIETY: Chardonnay
WINEGROWING TEAM: Brian Bicknell, Phoebe Cathcart, Max Bicknell, our focused growers and brilliant vintage staff
ALCOHOL: 13.6%
TITRATABLE ACIDITY: 6.9 g/L
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 0.35 g/L
BRIX AT HARVEST: 21.9 - 24.9
HARVEST: Hand-picked, 16 March - 4 April

The vision is to ‘go beyond fruit’, where the aromatics represent a feeling of texture. There is a well-defined oak influence, that embraces the wine. This is combined with more recognisable notes of nougat, fennel seed and a peach-like perfume that show themselves upon closer look.

The mouthfeel is soft, plush and round initially. Then the sense of direction comes through the acidity that salivates and further activates the taste buds. There is a fine balance throughout the mouthfeel of fruit weight, creaminess and acidity that are harmonised by the extended time in large-sized oak barrels.

You can find a classic approach but with a tight lens that brings freshness and playfulness.

WINEMAKING Hand-harvested fruit was pressed the following day, cold. After a light settling, the juice was racked into large format barrels, 300-500 litres, for a spontaneous ferment. Spring malolactic fermentation started naturally in October/November, the wine remained in barrel until the 2024 harvest started. It was then transferred into large 1000litre oak vessels for another 4 months of maturation on lees. 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Vineyard source(s): McCreanor Vineyard, 37 Princess Street, Martinborough, NZ Harvest dates: 20 March - 31 March      |      Harvest Brix: 22.5 - 23.5 Brix Alcohol by Volume: 12.5%     |     pH 3.41      |     TA: 5.8 g/l