Neck Of The Woods Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2018

Neck Of The Woods Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2018Nutty French oak Wood spice & vanilla Rockmelon & peach Creamy mouthfeel "This is beautifully fruited and gorgeously expressed on the nose showing golden peach, mango, lemon peel and vanillin oak characters. The palate is equally impressive with excellent weight and fruit intensity, wonderfully complemented by creamy mouthfeel and refreshing acidity, finishing persistent and silky. Stylish and flavoursome. At its best: now to 2023" Sam Kim, Wine

• Nutty French oak
• Wood spice & vanilla
• Rockmelon & peach
• Creamy mouthfeel

"This is beautifully fruited and gorgeously expressed on the nose showing golden peach, mango, lemon peel and vanillin oak characters. The palate is equally impressive with excellent weight and fruit intensity, wonderfully complemented by creamy mouthfeel and refreshing acidity, finishing persistent and silky. Stylish and flavoursome. At its best: now to 2023" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2019

"An intriguing bouquet of Chardonnay with aromas of white smoke and minerals, sun-baked yellow stone fruits and an abundance of wood-spices and nuts. On the palate - flavours of sweet grapefruit and lemon, apple and peach. The wood spice of vanilla and wood-smoke add texture, flavour and complexity. Generous, weighty, lush and salivating. I’m enjoying the textures and flavours, palate feel and finish. Overall a lovely wine. Best drinking from today and through 2023" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Feb 2020

A graceful melody of rockmelon & peach with creamy nutty hazelnut notesbrought to focus with an opulent and juicy citrus finish. As a wine, this vintage is showing splendidly considering its youth. It is drinking well now and will continue to evolve as it ages.

Parcels of fruit were handpicked and brought into the winery as they became both flavour and phenologically ripe. Whole bunches were loaded into the press and the juice gently extracted over three hours. The juice was briefly settled in tank for 12 hours, before then being run to barrel for fermentation.

All barrels were French oak — of which around 25% were new. Both alcohol and malic fermentations were completed over a period of six months, followed by further integration and maturation in barrel for five months.