150 Church Road,
Taradale,
Hawke's Bay
New Zealand
Ph: +64 6 844 2053
Fax: +64 6 844 3378
info@churchroad.co.nz
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©2006
This powerful, elegant and full-bodied wine was crafted from hand-harvested Chardonnay grapes from an excellent Hawke's Bay vintage. Traditional winemaking techniques were used to add an extra dimension of complexity, to enrich the mouth-feel and to soften the palate.
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Released: November 2005
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: 100% Hawke's Bay
Colour: Medium straw colour.
Aromas: Concentrated and rich peach and citrus fruit are layered with complex aromas of savoury yeast and toasty, nutty French oak.
Palate: Ripe peach and well-integrated sweet French oak are balanced by gentle acidity. Delicate handling has produced a palate which concentrated, but refined and elegant.
This wine will reward careful cellaring for up to five years. Over time, the fruit, oak and various fermentation characters will become even more integrated and complexity of mineral and roasted cashew nuts will develop.
The highlight of the 2004 vintage was the extended warm, dry vintage which allowed us to hand harvest clean, fully ripe fruit with exceptional concentration.
Brix at harvest: 24° average
Winemakers: Chris Scott
Whole bunches were gently pressed and the juice briefly settled, before racking to French oak barrels for fermentation fermented under controlled conditions. 12% of the wine was allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation, to soften acidity and to aid texture and complexity.
Aged in a blend 65% new and 35 % one-year-old French oak barriques for approximately eleven months, the wine remained on its yeast lees after fermentation with battonage (lees stirring) to add an extra dimension of complexity and to increase palate texture.
Alcohol: 14% by volume
Total acidity: 6.6g/L as tartaric
1991-1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005*
* currently available vintage(s)
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