While California's Napa Valley is best known for its wine, it has become home to two distilleries in recent years. One of these is Loch & Union Distilling. Founded by Colin Baker and Chris Andrews, the centerpiece of their operation is a custom German-built set of stills. 

Loch & Union Barreled Gin is a limited barrel series celebrating the marriage between spirit, botanical, and oak. This unique spirit has a weighted creamy texture and is met with warm baking spices. Notes of butter, brown sugar, and caramel linger on the finish.

750mL | 43%ABV

The 2022 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has more mineralité on the nose than some of its peers: crushed limestone filtering through the malic scents and a slight algae-like aroma. The palate is well-balanced with a keen thread of acidity, seductive orange pith and citrus notes. The 2022 has a composed and harmonious finish. This is a well-made and delicious Vaillons.

— 90 points, Antonio Galloni - Vinous

THE DRINKING
With hand-picked Chardonnay grapes in late summer, this Blanc de Blancs is a rustic and unfussy wine with a foamy mousse and biscuit and freshly baked bread aromas. It’s refreshing, fruity and perky on the palate with layers of pear, cherry and orange zest. To be enjoyed during the summer months, well chilled to quell that dissolved CO2. Unfiltered and unfined, this is a charming lo-fi natural wine.

THE GROWING
We will always remember 2021 as the perfect vintage for our dry farmed vines; as though I had direct dial to Hughie the weather god, we were blessed with decent dollops of rain at the optimum times during the growing season, much appreciated as our vines were recovering from the drought conditions of 2020. The one brix a week rule book was thrown out the window in 2021 and we had to be on our toes, ready to pick at a moment's notice, as the brix (sugar levels) were rising on a daily basis.

THE MAKING
Hand-picked single clone 95 Chardonnay grapes from our 'Puriri' block were whole bunch pressed and the juice put into a stainless-steel tank where it was cold settled for 24 hours then racked into its fermentation tank. No yeast or additions were made, apart from some organic yeast nutrient, to help to complete the wild ferment. The decision when to bottle is always a challenging one, too much unfermented sugars and you have a too fizzy bottle rocket in your hands, too little sugars and you have all sausage without the sizzle. Much like the picking decision, I had to base my bottling decision on experience, taste and sugar levels. The ferment tank was chilled down to 2 degrees C for 48 hours then lifted onto my trailer, driven back to our vineyard and gravity bottled at Zeelandt Brewery by the same crew who picked the grapes.

TECHNICAL NOTES
PICKING DATE: 4 March 2021
pH: 3.38
ACIDITY: 5.47
RS: 1.34
BOTTLING: 7 April 2021
F(SO2): 8.8T
(SO2): 24

Te Mānia’s vineyards, established in 1990, are located near the beautiful coastline of Tasman Bay on free draining, stony clay loam soils which have proved excellent for producing wine grapes of exceptional quality.  Te Mania is a two-time winner of the prestigious Bragato Trophy for Best of Show.

Nelson Chardonnay 2024
The Nelson region has established a strong reputation for this classic variety producing many top award-winning wines. Te Mānia Chardonnay is an elegant wine made with just a little oak to compliment and show case the fresh fruity flavours.  It can be enjoyed on its own or with a wide variety of dishes.  It’s particularly good with seafood and white meat dishes.

Nose:  Rich ripe peach aromas with floral citrus blossom. Freshly baked bread and melted butter notes with brown spices and toasted nuts from French oak barre

Palate: A concentrated rich wine with silky texture. Has savory, toasted nut flavour’s and a long fresh finish. Ripe peach and zesty grapefruit flavors.     

         
Vintage:  After pressing, the juice was fermented in French oak barrels with wild yeast.  The lees were stirred once a week for 3 months to add texture and complexity to the wine.  The wine was allowed to go 50% through a secondary malolactic fermentation.

Organic Status:  Certified Organic BioGro New Zealand.
Diet:  This wine is suitable for a vegan diet.