2014 Kupe Chardonnay

Fruit from Martinborough Terraces. Barrel fermented by indigenous yeast in 20% new oak and aged 10 months on lees. TA 7.1 g/l, pH 3.15. Like the straight Chardonnay 2014, a little smoky but less so. Savoury, spicy and creamy on the nose, oak still in evidence but the fruit is very pure. A touch of struck match. Again, real tension here and a little more finesse and less power. More streamlined but very persistent. Dry, elegant finish. (JH)

Bright straw-yellow colour with lemon-green hues, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is youthfully firm and deeply concentrated with powerful aromas of fresh white stonefruits melded with intense nutty notes along with complexing oxidative and aldehyde elements, and nuances of flinty, minerally lees. Medium-bodied, the palate is bright and refreshingly lively with tightly concentrated flavours of white stonefruits along with an amalgam of nutty and oxidative elements, aldehyde hints and flinty detail. The mouthfeel is firm and possesses grip, and enlivened by crisp acidity. This has power and drive and the concentrated core carries to a long, nutty finish, This is a youthfully firm, powerful and lively Chardonnay with complex flavours of white stonefruits and nuts, with oxidative and minerally detail. Match with pork and veal over the next 5+ years. Clone 95 from vines planted in 1998 on the McCreanor block on Princess Street, fully barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts to 13.2% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 20% new French oak, 60% undergoing MLF.