Escarpment WineryChardonnay 2021

Toasty notes are married with lime, peach, ginger snaps and salted focaccia. Nicely textured with vibrant acidity. Very fresh. Medium-bodied, sleek and elegant. Drink now. Screw cap.

Bright, pale yellow with depth and green hues, even colour throughout. The nose is distinctive, soft yet potent, penetrating aromas of oyster shell, citrus, stonefruit, meringue overlying struck match and a hint of nut. Medium-full bodied, concentrated aromas exploded with lemon curd, apricot unfolding spice, grapefruit zest and minerals, followed by whipped meringue, almond and toast. A dusty, chalky layer of minerals coated the palate in silk. The layers of flavour amalgamated by striking acid tension, carrying vibration and focus to a long, stimulating finish. This is an exceptional Chardonnay with excellent tension, concentrated fruit and an elegant mineral palate enriched by well-portioned barrel details. Match with butter-poached crayfish and caviar over the next 10 years. Fruit sourced from primarily home block on Te Muna Road, fermented in French oak puncheons, 20% new, 12.9% alc, aged 11 months in oak and a further 4 months in stainless steel

The 2021 Chardonnay is rambunctious and concentrated, with curry leaf and brine, salted yellow peach and flinty reduction showing as hints of graphite/struck match on the nose. The 2021 season experienced poor flowering. Winemaker Tim Bourne says it was "drizzly, rainy and cold," so the fruit didn´t set so well. There were small bunches with small berries and not a lot of yield, but it was great quality. After direct pressing, it went into puncheons for wild ferment, then left on lees, with a "fair bit of malic acid retained in 2021—two grams," says Tim. It saw 20% new oak and matured for 11 months prior to bottling. This is an obvious wine with loads of intense flavor and lovely acidity.