‘Cob Cottage’ Chardonnay 2010
COLOUR: Rich straw gold
AROMA: Nectarine and white peach skin. Subtle hints of citrus peel with lime and mandarin aromas. The wine displays an underlying complexity with gunflint, roasted nuts and vanilla bean characters.
PALATE: The palate is concentrated and beautifully textured with a flowing mouthfeel. The rich fruit weight and oak balance combine with a perfectly pitched acidity providing a superb fresh linear and creamy structure.
ANALYSIS: Alc. 14.0% pH 3.34 TA 7.4
WINEMAKERS NOTES: These grapes were hand harvested and whole bunch pressed to allow for gentle extraction of clean juice. This juice was naturally fermented with a high level of juice solids by indigenous yeast in French oak barriques; the combination of which creates a wine with added complexity and interest. The wine was then aged in barriques for 10 months. Regular lees stirring added greater palate weight and richness which balances the acid structure and complexity of the wine.
VITICULTURALIST NOTES: This small block of vines is situated on a steep north facing hillside at Auntsfield Estate. The soil here is made up of very dense Loess Clay with a high mineral content. The vines are old and slow growing leading to a low cropping level of 2kg per vine. The resulting fruit is always very clean with an unusual warm hue of colour at harvest. The bunches contain lots of very small perfectly formed berries and a high skin to pulp ratio.
