Holly Chardonnay2019

Sourced from a single vineyard in Hawkes Bay, this is a rich, barrel fermented Chardonnay with the accent on complexity and fruit weight. Ripe stone fruit and citrus aromas combine with hints of toasty oak, leading to a silky and elegant finish. Perfect with seafood or pasta made with rich, cream-based sauces or with roasted chicken. Already enjoyable, this wine will continue to improve over the next 3 to 7 years.

Vineyard

The fruit for this wine was sourced from a vineyard in the Bridge Pa district in Hawkes Bay. The combination of a temperate climate and  free draining stony silt loams makes this sub region a paradise for grape growing. The vineyard is planted is Mendoza and 15 clones and the mature vines naturally produce low yields of ripe fruit.

Winemaking

The fruit for this wine was pressed soon after picking, with the juice then being transferred for fermentation into French oak barrels, with 35% new oak, using a mix of cultured and wild yeasts. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was left on lees in barrel for 11 months with regular stirring to promote texture and mouthfeel. A portion of the barrels go through Malolactic fermentation in spring to enhance complexity.

Technical Notes

Awards & Reviews

2019
Awarded 5 stars by Wine Orbit
Awarded 92pts Cameron Douglas MS

2018
Awarded 93pts Cameron Douglas MS
Awarded 91pts Bob Campbell

2017
Awarded 5 stars by Wine Orbit
Awarded 5 stars by Raymond Chan
Awarded 93pts Cameron Douglas
Awarded Silver by IWSC

2016
Awarded Master of the UK Drinks Business Masters
Awarded Gold by China Wine and Spirits Awards
Awarded 5 stars by Wine Orbit