Country
New Zealand
Wine Composition
100% Chardonnay
Winemakers Comments
A classic Chardonnay nose of toasted brioche, gunflint, biscuit, lemon curd and star fruit (Carambola). As a wine, it shows the true potential for Chardonnay in Askerne’s vineyard and along the terroirs of the cool, later-ripening sites of the lower Tukituki Valley. Mouth-filling, textured, precise, and with great length, this wine will give great enjoyment now and will also reward careful cellaring.
Technical Analysis
Alcohol Percentage
13.5 %
RS
1.0 g/l
TA
5.8 g/l
pH
3.28
Cellar Techniques
Our 2018 Reserve Chardonnay was made from predominantly Clone 15 Chardonnay (66%), with diminishing proportions of Mendoza, Clone 95 and Clone 6 which was grown on the stony sandy soils of the lower terrace. Yields were reduced to around 2.5 kg per vine. The fruit was hand harvested in March/April 2018 then whole bunch pressed and settled in tank before running to barrel. Some barrels were inoculated and others were left to ferment wild. The wine was fermented in French oak barriques, 35 % new, 32 % one-year-old, then aged on lees for 9 months unsulphured and with some stirring. The majority of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation.
Winemaker
Name - Ant MacKenzie
Winery
The Askerne Estate Winery vineyard site comprises six different soils varying between river gravels, sandy soils, silt, and loams. The subsoils vary from gravels, red-metal, and clay. These various soils have been matched to particular varieties and also to produce complexity within varietal styles.
The site also has unique climatic attributes. It is forward of both the Haumoana hills and Havelock North hills and is close to the coast, benefiting from the moderating effect of the sea. It is a plains site receiving cooling winds from all directions including draughts from the adjoining Tuki Tuki river which laid down the various soils. These cooling effects are key contributors to the elegance and aromatics of our white wines.
The soils and climate provide a base, which is built on by a variety of clones and rootstocks within each variety to add further complexity. Our viticultural management reflects a meticulous approach to our philosophy that fine wine is made in the vineyard.
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