BY FARR Irrewarra Chardonnay
Domaine René Lardet Saint-Véran Champ Rond
From families which have been wine growers for 7 generations, Andrée and René Thibert created their own domaine in the heart of the village of Fuissé in 1967. Inspired and encouraged by their parents, Sandrine and Christophe have now taken over the management of the domaine which covers 29 hectares. The vineyards are sustainably managed to respect the soils and the vine plants. Intense bouquet, delicate, charming, with notes of citrus and flowers. The wine has all the typical opulence and elegance of a Saint-Véran, with a back taste of fresh citrus and fine minerality.
Levantine Hill Estate Blanc de Blanc
WinemakingAll fruit was hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed. The cuvee taille (first cut free-run juice) was settled naturally overnight prior to racking to a mix of stainless steel tank and large format old barrels for fermentation.Fermented and aged separately in small batch lots on settled lees for nine months. The blended wine then underwent secondary fermentation in the bottle. This wine has been aged for an extended period on its autolysing yeast lees for more than four years to garner richness and complexity to its innate elegance and finesse.Winemaker's notesThe protracted growing season allowed a drawn-out ripening, resulting in an uncommon richness of flavour tempered by the abundant natural acidity contributed by the season.A bouquet of nashi pear, glazed brioche, lemon cheesecake and Amaretti buscuit. Flavours of nougat, lemon rind, jasmine and chestnut underpin a palate of steely acidity with delicated bubble, fruit weight and earthy 'sur lie' characters providing textural accompaniement, richness and creaminess to the finish. An excellent match for freshly-shucked oysters or semi-hard cow's milk cheeses.
Novum Pinot Noir
An opulent Pinot Noir made from select parcels of fruit showcasing its Marlborough origin gloriously. An aromatic wine with black fruit and spice on the nose. The palate is rich, also with black fruit, but a hint of red fruit to add unexpected freshness.Textural and deep, this will age for up to ten years with grace (although its ready to enjoy now). The fruit is 100% destemmed then aged in 30% new oak. Novum use small parcels of fruit from specially selected sites on established Marlborough vineyards to craft the best wines and expressions of terroir possible. Their first vintage arrived in 2016. Novums primary focus is on Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Novum Chardonnay
Small-batch Chardonnay from Marlborough negociants Novum. Stonefruit, cream and mineral on the nose. Flintiness meets fruit on the palate, making for a distinctive medium-bodied wine. An appealingly long finish shows this to be a top tier Chardonnay. Novum use small parcels of fruit from specially selected sites on established Marlborough vineyards to craft the best wines and expressions of terroir possible. Their first vintage arrived in 2016. Novums primary focus is on Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Isabel Estate Vineyard Aratoro Chardonnay
ISABEL ESTATE VINEYARD Aratoro Chardonnay, Marlborough Isabel Estate was established in Marlborough in 1980 and has some of the oldest vines in the region. Aratoro (meaning 'path of discovery') is Isabel Estate's top-tier range. This single-vineyard wine is crafted from some of the oldest vines on the Isabel Estate vineyard. The Chardonnay is crafted from naturally low yielding vines that provide fruit with great concentration and acidity. The resulting wine is powerful and intricate, displaying notes of gunsmoke, white peach, and nectarine, with hints of lemon and lime. The citrus note gives the wine length and vibrancy. Mineral, linear, lengthy and fine acidity carries the wine and gives this beautiful wine great age-ability.
Nanny Goat Single Vineyards Queensberry Chardonnay
Nanny Goat is a Central Otago winery known best for their Pinot Noir but their Chardonnay is also exceptional. Its name derives from the fact that much of the country is rough, dry, mountainous and desolate – seemingly suitable only for goats. Apparently, the brand’s owner, Aussie John Valmorbida, was climbing up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown when the goat idea struck him. It is rather appropriate. Hand picked and whole bunch pressed to stainless steel tanks before being mixed and transferred to 500L French oak puncheons (25% new) with high solids. The wine is then left to ferment naturally with occasional lees stirring to enhance palate weight and texture. The wine underwent 90% malolactic fermentation, softening the palate yet retaining a fine vein of acidity for balance on the palate.