From the vineyard…

The growing season kicked off with the wettest and coolest spring since our vines have been in production making 2023 unique from the start. A prolific 423mm of rain fell between September and November, more than double the 100-year average of 196mm. Thankfully, the soils of our vineyard drain well, and the rain kept the usual spring frosts away.

Come summer, the rainfall eased dramatically and remained well below average until March. As the vines caught their breath, the cool theme continued and relatively dry conditions in autumn led to a harvest where true slow ripening was rewarded with elegant expressions right across the vineyard.

With harvest commencing mid-April, around three weeks later than usual, the 2023 vintage stands out with an elegance that celebrates all the positives of cool climate Chardonnay.

From the winery…

Picked in the cool of the morning, Chardonnay from three distinct blocks were whole bunch pressed to tank with cloudy juice transferred to barrel the following day.  Indigenous yeasts dictated ferment in various formats ranging from  300 and 500 litre new  and older French oak barrels.  Barrels were stirred monthly until minimal sulphur was added in late Spring once malolactic ferment (MLF) was near complete.   Our 2023 Chardonnay has gone through 90% MLF along with 22% new oak with minimal filtration before bottling.

Cellaring: Drinking beautifully now with 10+ years of cellaring potential.