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Single Block
‘Cob Cottage’ Chardonnay

Auntsfield continues the proud heritage of Marlborough’s first vineyard and winery established in 1873. Our Single Block wines display qualities distinctive to grapes grown within a defined
area at Auntsfield Estate. Consistent quality and character over many vintages has separated these single blocks out as producing our Reserve Wines.

Cob Cottage Chardonnay – This small 2 hectare block is situated at the very southern elevated corner of the vineyard next to some old Oak trees. It has a unique free draining soil made up of crushed Greywacke rock that has fallen from the steep hill behind.

TASTING NOTES:

COLOUR: Bright straw
AROMA: Concentrated aromas of stone fruit with ripe nectarine and white peach with undertones of citrus peel. Lifted notes of dried herbs and wood spice compliment nuanced aromas of roasted hazelnut, wet stone and honeycomb.
PALATE: The pallet is concentrated and beautifully textured with generious fruit weight. The fruit weight and oak balance layer with luscious acidity to provide a superb fresh, linear and creamy structure.
ANALYSIS: Alc. 14% | pH 3.2| TA 7.4

WINEMAKERS NOTES:
The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. It is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice left to ferment spontaneously in French oak barrels (20% new oak).
After fermentation the wine is aged in barrel on yeast lees for 11 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this wine.

VITICULTURALISTS 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.

TASTING NOTE:

COLOUR: Bright straw.
AROMA: Displays concentrated aromas of white peach with undertones of citrus peel. Lifted notes of dried herbs and fine spice compliment nuanced aromas of roasted hazelnut, wet stone and brioche.
PALATE: Elegant and ethereal on the palate, layers of white peach, citrus florals, delicate oak spice toasted brioche unfolding chalky minerals, lingering to a clean yet long finish. Chalky minerals provide a finely textured mouthfeel; soft acidity persists and carries spice elegantly throughout the palate.

ANALYSIS: Alc. 13.5% | pH 3.33 | TA 6.2 g/L

WINEMAKERS NOTES:
The fruit is hand-picked and gently whole bunch pressed. After settling overnight, the juice is tacked to barrel and fermented with high juice solids in lightly toasted French oak barriques with indigenous yeast. After fermentation the wine is aged on yeast lees for 11 months. Before selecting the best barrels from the block for this wine

VITICULTURALISTS 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.

COLOUR:  Bright straw

AROMA: Displays concentrated aromas of ripe nectarine and white peach with undertones of citrus peel. Lifted notes of dried herbs and wood spice compliment nuanced aromas of roasted hazelnut, wet stone and honeycomb.

PALATE:  The pallet is concentrated and beautifully textured with a flowing mouth-feel. The  fruit weight and oak balance layer with luscious acidity to provide a superb fresh, linear and creamy structure.

ANALYSIS:  Alc. 14%  |  pH |  TA

The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. At the winery it is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice fermented in French oak barriques (% new oak).
After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barrels on yeast lees for 11 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this wine.

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.

COLOUR: Bright straw

AROMA: Displays concentrated aromas of ripe nectarine and white peach with undertones of citrus peel. Lifted notes of dried herbs and wood spice compliment nuanced aromas of roasted hazelnut, wet stone and honeycomb.

PALATE: The pallet is concentrated and beautifully textured with a flowing mouth-feel. The  fruit weight and oak balance layer with luscious acidity to provide a superb fresh, linear and creamy structure.

ANALYSIS: Alc. 14.0% pH 3.18 TA 6.1

WINEMAKERS NOTES: The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. At the winery it is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice fermented in French oak barriques (20% new oak). After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barrels on yeast lees for 11 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this 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.

COLOUR: Bright straw

AROMA: Displays ripe fruit aromas of nectarine and peach with subtle aromas of mandarin peel and roasted characters. Lifted notes of dried herbs complimented by complex aromas of
flint, roasted hazelnut and honeycomb.

PALATE: The palate is concentrated and beautifully textured with a flowing mouth-feel. The fruit weight and oak balance combine with a perfectly pitched acidity, providing a superb fresh linier and creamy structure.

ANALYSIS: Alc. 14.0% pH 3.20 TA 6.4

WINEMAKERS NOTES: The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. At the winery it is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice fermented in French oak barriques (35% new oak). After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barrels on yeast lees for 10 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this 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.

COLOUR: Bright straw

AROMA: Nectarine and white peach. Subtle aromas of mandarin peel, lime leaf and grapefruit. Lifted notes of dried herbs complimented by complex mealy aromas of vanilla bean, roasted nuts and honeycomb.

PALATE: This wine displays tension and great length. The palate is tight and fresh, with stone fruit and tropical fruit flavours. Underlying chalky minerality provides a linear structure.
The mouthfeel is intense and yet seamless and well balanced.

ANALYSIS: Alc. 14.0% pH 3.18 TA 6.9

WINEMAKERS NOTES: The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. At the winery it is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice fermented in French oak barriques (20% new oak).
After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barrels on yeast lees for 10 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this 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.

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.

REVIEWS:

  • Wonderfully styled and immensely complex, the bouquet shows white flesh nectarine, Gala apple, lemon pith, vanilla and hazelnut characters with nuances of oatmeal and brioche. The palate displays outstanding centration and intensity, while remaining elegant and poised, leading to an impressively long engaging finish. At its best: now to 2026. (2018 Auntsfield Cob Cottage Chardonnay)

    96 Points WINE ORBIT, February 2020

  • “Auntsfield ‘Cob Cottage’ Chardonnay 2016 – Complex and enticing bouquet with wood spices, ripe citrus and stone fruits as well as silty dry stone mineral message. Equally complex on the palate with layers of flavour wovern through textures of acidity, oak and lees complexity. A fine wine – decant for service. best from 2019 through 2026.” (Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2016).

    95 Points. CAMERON DOUGLAS, May 2018

  • ‘Best Wine of Provenance’ Trophy – Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2016.

    NZ WINE OF THE YEAR, 2018

  • Super beeswax and chamomile aromas with an array of ripe poached pears and peaches. The palate has a long, smooth core of ripe peaches and some attractive, buttery, grilled nuts to close. (Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2016)

    93 Points. JAMES SUCKLING. October, 2018

  • Quite a gutsy chardonnay with stone fruit, white peach, grapefruit, struck match, and nutty oak flavours supported by peppery tannins that give the wine a drying finish. A slightly rustic wine that will benefit from bottle age. (Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2016)

    93 Points. BOB CAMPBELL. March, 2019

  • This single ‘block’ rather than just single ‘vineyard’ wine is estate-grown on the south side of the Wairau Valley. The outstanding 2016 vintage matured for 11 months in French oak casks (20 per cent new), is a weighty wine, slightly creamy-textured, with deep, youthful citrus and stone-fruit flavours, and very finely integrated, biscuity oak. Combining power and elegance, it is highly concentrated, vibrant and ‘complete’. (Cob Cottage Chardonnay 2016)

    Five Stars. MICHAEL COOPER. 2019

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