Hans Family Estate - Chardonnay 2018

One for the Burgundy lovers. Light smoky tones with a smooth satin texture. Exquisite complexity with wonderfully dense, ripe, fruit finished with a crystalline and vivacious acidity. Persistent not only on the nose but follows straight through to the last reverberant sip, showing the generosity and rounded texture of a grand cru Chardonnay. Tasted 1st May 2020.

Vineyard: Wairau Valley - Rapaura. Prime location. One of the warmest sites in the Wairau valley, special micro-climate from adjoining Wairau river. Naturally frost protected.

Soil Type: Shallow (<45 cm) well drained sandy and gravelly soil with clay-sand patches from stony alluvium.

I left the fruit on the skins for an extended time to extract the superb flavours. Then gently pressed the must was transferred in 500 litre French oak puncheons (50% new) for a natural (wild yeast) alcoholic fermentation with no residual sugar. Its fine lees has been regularly stirred assisting to the wines remarkable silkiness, complexity and depth.

The wine had 18 month in each barrel to mature and flourish but will develop into something even more heavenly with bottle age. No cold stabilization. Unfined and only light filtration to retain all the goodness.