Te Kairanga Estate Chardonnay 2007

NOTES

"tee-kigh-runga" - where the soil is rich and the food is plentiful, Te Kairanga is one of Martinborough's founding vineyards established over 20 years ago. In keeping with the pioneering spirit surrounding the vineyard, a number of Te Kairanga wines have hailed from Martinborough's history and that of its inhabitants dating back to 1879.

The wine region of Martinborough is located at the foot of New Zealand's North Island at latitude of 40 degrees south. Here, a happy coincidence of geology and geography has created the perfect climate and terrain for Pinot Noir and aromatic wines. The stone-filled river terraces are free-draining while the topsoils vary from slope to slope. The mountains protect us from harsh elements and we enjoy long dry days and cool nights. The vines grow less vigorously in the cool, breezy conditions, so yields are lower and the flavours more intense. Our long dry autumns provide the right balance of warm days (creating ripeness) and cool nights (providing elegance) for producing top quality Pinot Noir and other early-ripening varieties. The results speak for themselves – the Martinborough region is known internationally for consistently producing world-class fine wines.

TASTING NOTES

Harvest conditions were perfect with warm, mild temperatures.  This ensured the grapes had both good ripeness and sugar levels.  10 months in French oak barriques and great care was taken to ensure oak characters did not dominate, instead there is emphasis on purity of fruit fully expressed.

Delicious aromas of melon and apricots enhance this rich creamy wine which shows excellent weight and persistence across the mid-palate.  There is a soft and subtle finish of vanilla.  Chardonnays are big and bold and this one is a good example. It’s brave enough to handle a power-packed seafood risotto or fruity pork or chicken dish.