Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2017

Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2017"Brilliant light golden yellow colour with some depth, a little lighter on the rim. The nose has a rounded but well packed core of white and yellow stonefruits harmoniously entwined with a layer of lifted and sweet nutty oak, and suggestions of creamy barrel ferment. Subtle flint elements add interest. The aromatics are fresh and bright. Medium full bodied, the palate has aromatic and lifted flavours of bright citrus fruit with white stonefruits and

"Brilliant light golden-yellow colour with some depth, a little lighter on the rim. The nose has a rounded but well-packed core of white and yellow stonefruits harmoniously entwined with a layer of lifted and sweet nutty oak, and suggestions of creamy barrel-ferment. Subtle flint elements add interest. The aromatics are fresh and bright. Medium-full bodied, the palate has aromatic and lifted flavours of bright citrus fruit with white stonefruits and lifted florals, along with sweet, nutty oak and subtle creamy barrel-ferment elements. The palate has a fine, tight, light-textured core and line with refreshing, bright acidity to balance the fruit sweetness, and the wine carries to a fragrant, lingering finish. This is a fragrant and aromatic citrus-fruited Chardonnay with bright fruit and acidity and a fine heart with creamy hints. Match with creamy seafood and poultry dishes over the next 3+ years. Clone 15 fruit from a single site in Te Awanga, fully barrel-fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 9 months in 45% 1 y.o. barriques, the remainder in 2 and 3 y.o. barrels, undergoing batonnage, with no MLF" Raymond Chan, Nov 2018

The colour is pale gold and the nose has rich fruit and citrus aromas with some vanilla and toasty notes. On the palate, sweet buttery and stone fruit flavours come through on the big rich mid palate. The oak is subtle and well integrated. These flavours show through beautifully in the soft mouth-feel and clean finish.

What a good summer 2017 was with plenty of warm dry weather leading into February. There was a bit of rain later on though into the autumn, however the vineyard this fruit was sourced off in Te Awanga managed to hang the fruit to get it really ripe. The crop was average and fruit with good ripe flavours. The fruit was clean, showing good intensity. And the vineyard was all clone 15 Chardonnay.

This Chardonnay was machine harvested and the juice barrel fermented in French oak. The wine is a selection from barrels – 45% of which were one year old and the balance 2 & 3 years old. Only free run juice was used in the fermentation. There was no malolactic fermentation.