Auntsfield Estate Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

The original cellars & vineyards of David Hern, Marlborough's & Auntsfield's founding winemaker, are the same estate that the modern Auntsfield is on today. The current varietals planted have a shared ancestry with the original vineyards, and the Cowley family makes it a priority to act as guardians of this history.

The Southern Valleys is a sub region within Marlborough where the climate is cooler and drier. With its mix of high mineral Greywacke rock and old low fertility Loess clay soils, the Southern Valleys is regarded for its riper styles of wine with more structure, texture and minerality.

The Auntsfield vineyard covers 65 hectares and is planted in Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Unlike many Marlborough vineyards, Pinot Noir is Auntsfield’s most planted variety, and is particularly suited to the old clay hillsides of Auntsfield.

Grape Varietals & Region: 100% Chardonnay from Southern Valleys, Marlborough, New Zealand

Taste Profile: Rich straw gold in colour, aromas are intense and complex displaying nectarine, apricot and mandarin peel integrated with vanilla pod and hazelnut from the French oak influence. The palate shows ripe stone fruit flavours of nectarine, peach and dried apricot, integrated with a flinty earth and subtle French oak influence giving hints of roasted hazelnut. A well-structured and seamless wine with excellent length and complexity.

Winemaking Process: The fruit for this wine was hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels with indigenous (from Auntsfield vineyard) yeast. Maturation on yeast lees allowed the oak flavours to subtly integrate with the fruit to develop depth and complexity in the wine.