Delight this holiday season with a Tantalus Estate and Alibi Brewer's Lounge Gift Voucher. Shop 'Gift Vouchers' link here.
All Wine  >  Regional

Reserve Chardonnay

Chardonnay
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

Vintages:

2017

Price: $68 per bottle

Winemaking

Slowly evolving over 10 months ageing in an ovoid concrete vat, our richly aromatic and distinctive Egg Chardonnay was assisted by the rotation of the earth and ever moving convection cur-rents. This maximised contact with yeast lees ensured an incredibly textural mouthfeel. A portion of the wine was fermented and aged in French oak for added complexity.

Food pairing:

Lemon butter scallops, Freshly shucked oysters, Honey baked snapper, Goat’s cheese pasta salad with toasted almonds, Classic sole meunière

Vintage report

A remarkable season. A moderate spring with low frost risk and generally good flowering leading to an extremely dry and warm summer, recording above average temperatures in January and February before rainy weather came late Feb followed by humid conditions with heavy rainfall from March to May. The early varieties are fantastic with Chardonnay an impressive stand-out.

Technical analysis:

Region: Hawkes Bay
Grapes: Chardonnay
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 1.5g/l
pH: 3.31
TA: 7.1g/l
Download technical sheet

Awards:

Bob Campbell: 5 Stars - 95 Points

2018

Price: $70 per bottle

Winemaking

Whole bunch pressed in a horizontal pneumatic press and slowly fermented in an ovoid concrete vat using a combination of indigenous and selected yeasts. A portion of the wine was fermented and aged in French oak with regular battonage for added complexity. Matured for 10 months with partial malolactic fermentation. The maximized contact with yeast lees ensured an incredibly textural mouthfeel.

Food pairing:

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls, White Fish Terrine with Salmon Roe and Dill, Rabbit Pate Campagne, Garlic Brandy Prawns, Veal Blanquette

Vintage report

One of the warmest seasons on record in Hawke’s Bay with heat accumulation 15% above the long term average. Rainfall was below average, but falls during the critical harvest period presented some challenges and careful fruit selection was rewarded. Fortunately due to the warm, very dry summer, a lot of the good work was done and the fruit was harvested in clean condition with good flavour ripeness and gentle acidity, producing well balanced, moderate alcohol wines.

Technical analysis:

Region: Hawkes Bay
Grapes: Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13%
Residual Sugar: 1.8 g/l
pH: 3.37
TA: 6.9 g/l
Download technical sheet

Awards:

Bob Campbell: 92 points