Luta Wines Chardonnay "Cirrus" 2023

Rob and Kate Burley have since 2019 been organically farming a picturesque 5.5 Hectare vineyard in Nelson, planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris & Riesling. As the ‘Unkel’, they always allow the wine to do the talking, leading its own life through fermentation and ageing in the winery providing what they believe is the most honest expression of the fruit that they started with.

Luta wines are a recent addition to their Unkel Wines range & are wines made from a selection of barrels that they believe tell the story of the unique Moutere clays & the organic vineyards in which these vines are farmed. These are aged for longer at every step, from barrel to tank and again in the bottle, prior to release.

‘Luta’ - derived from Lutum, the Latin word for clay - pays reference to the Moutere clays where the grapes are grown.

Grape Varietals & Region: 100% Chardonnay from Nelson, New Zealand. Grown on clay soils in the Upper Moutere in Tasman, it comes from the Unkel vineyard, of mostly gravel & threaded clay

The Cirrus is the same as the Zephyr from previous vintages, Luta wines had to make some changes to the label name

Taste Profile: Confectionary citrus, grapefruit pith and ripe apple open to apricot crumble and desiccated coconut. Broad and textural yet finely balanced, Cirrus glides with weight and generosity before a savoury, refreshing close

Winemaking Process: The fruit for this wine was whole-bunch pressed and settled overnight before being racked to and fermented in Puncheons. Aged on lees for 10 months, then racked to stainless steel where it was aged for a further 6 months