Auntsfield 'Cob Cottage' Chardonnay 2018

COLOUR: Bright straw

AROMA: Displays concentrated aromas of ripe nectarine and white peach with undertones of citrus peel. Lifted notes of dried herbs and wood spice compliment nuanced aromas of roasted hazelnut, wet stone and honeycomb.

PALATE: The pallet is concentrated and beautifully textured with a flowing mouth-feel. The fruit weight and oak balance layer with luscious acidity to provide a superb fresh, linear and creamy structure.

The Southern Valleys is a sub region within Marlborough where the climate is cooler and drier. With its mix of high mineral Greywacke rock and old low fertility Loess clay soils, the Southern Valleys is regarded for its riper styles of wine with more structure, texture and minerality.

The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. At the winery it is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice fermented in French oak barriques (% new oak). After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barrels on yeast lees for 11 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this wine.