Mystery Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018 (01)

Mystery Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018 (01)"Aromas of toasty oak with vanilla and whipped cream, roasted peaches apple and grapefruit. A layer of cashew nut oak and whisper of butter and complexity and length. Dry, weighty, toasty oak, a touch of smoke and fruit flavours that reflect the nose. Balanced and well made, fine tannins and lengthy finish" Cameron Douglas "If I was giving out ribbons and bells for the most consistent, value for money under the radar Chardonnay over the last 4 years

"Aromas of toasty oak with vanilla and whipped cream, roasted peaches apple and grapefruit. A layer of cashew nut oak and whisper of butter and complexity and length. Dry, weighty, toasty oak, a touch of smoke and fruit flavours that reflect the nose. Balanced and well made, fine tannins and lengthy finish" Cameron Douglas

"If I was giving out ribbons and bells for the most consistent, value-for-money-under-the-radar-Chardonnay over the last 4 years this would be a veritable Morris Dancer of a sip. Shiny and new, with tropical fruit up the wazoo, expect an extra lash of peach, rockmelon, guava, grapefruit, toast and spice. The man behind the tanks and barrels at this small but perfectly formed winery snaffled solid Hawke’s Bay fruit to produce a medium-weighted, nicely structured example yet again" Yvonne Lorkin

On the nose this Mystery wine shows lifted aromas of lemon, melon and peach supported by subtle smoky oak. On the palate concentrated flavours of lemon curd and nectarine are enhanced by a creamy texture from lees aging, spicy oak and a fresh dry finish.

This Chardonnay is a mix of clones in Hawke’s Bay. Free draining stony gravels are the pre-dominant soil structure in this area. The crop was kept low and well exposed to ensure even ripening and optimal flavour development.

The 2018 season proved to be an excellent one. A calm spring in 2017 meant good fruit set with balanced cropping on the vines. Early flowering was then brought on by a dry November and a hot December. This continued throughout the summer which then led to an early but high quality harvest.

This Chardonnay was cool fermented with both aromatic yeasts and Burgundy style yeasts in barrels and stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation was completed, the wine was left for an extended period on yeast lees to promote textural qualities and mouthfeel. The wine exhibits stone fruit and ripe citrus flavours with a rich, mealy texture.

Food Pairing: This wine matches well with barbecued salmon fillets or roast chicken stuffed with lemon and thyme. Ready to drink now or cellar until 2021.