Mills Reef Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2017

Mills Reef Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2017"Bright, light golden hued straw yellow colour, paler on the rim. The nose is elegantly proportioned with finely concentrated aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits with subtle, savoury citrus fruit, along with taut, nutty oak notes. This is fresh and lively and youthful in presentation. Medium bodied, the palate has lively and vibrant fruit flavours of yellow stonefruits, savoury citrus fruits and soft notes of creamy barrel ferment and nutty oak. along

"Bright, light golden-hued straw-yellow colour, paler on the rim. The nose is elegantly proportioned with finely concentrated aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits with subtle, savoury citrus fruit, along with taut, nutty oak notes. This is fresh and lively and youthful in presentation. Medium-bodied, the palate has lively and vibrant fruit flavours of yellow stonefruits, savoury citrus fruits and soft notes of creamy barrel-ferment and nutty oak. along with a little lemon-curd MLF, unfolding spice nuances. The flavours form a concentrated core with subtle textures and bright acidity providing energy. The wine carries to a long and sustained finish. This Chardonnay has restrained flavours initially, but grows positively to show stonefruit, citrus fruit and nutty oak on a bright, fine-textured palate. Fruit from the Bridge Pa, Meeanee and Gimblett Gravels districts, barrel-fermented to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 7 months in 75% French, 20% American and 5% Hungarian oak, of which 27% was new, undergoing batonnage and 16% MLF" Raymond Chan, Mar 2018

This excellent Chardonnay is highly appealing, with pronounced yellow stonefruit and ginger spice flavours, vanilla, toasty oak and cashew nut notes. Barrel fermentation and seven months aging in quality oak has conferred lovely creamy weight and complexity. Enjoy with your favourite chicken or pork dish, or cellar judiciously for 3-4 years.

The grapes of superior budwood clones for this classical variety were sourced from a selection of vineyards in the Hawkes Bay: the low vigour, free draining alluvial loams of Bridge Pa, the sandy soils Meeanee district, and the gravelly soils of Gimblett Gravels wine growing region.

Harvested on 23rd and 24th March 2017, the fruit arrived in the winery in excellent condition at 20.5° Brix. Each vineyard parcel was vinified separately. The juice was barrel fermented, with 16% undergoing malolactic fermentation to achieve a subtle buttery texture. Thereafter each parcel spent seven months in oak (75% French, 20% American, 5% Hungarian of which 27% was new wood), with frequent lees stirring for enhanced complexity. The final wine was composed from selected batches to achieve the desired wine style, and then rested before bottling under screwcap during December 2017.

Reserve wines are from low-yielding vines producing superior grapes showing intense fruit flavours and pure varietal expression. The winemaking philosophy is to achieve “balance” of flavour, structure and texture.