Maitre Renard Burgundy Chardonnay 2008

NOTES

Maitre Renard is a collaboration between ex-Foster Nicholas Crampton and Dan Fitzgerald alongside a Frenchman – Bernard Schurr.

Bernard Schurr’s first love was horses and he was a member of the French Equestrian team, attending the famed “Cadre Noir”. His love of all things equine is reflected in Maitre Renard - he sees many comparisons with the wily and elusive Fox of French lore and the difficulties in making Burgundy. Winemaking experience in Bordeaux and the South of France has provided Bernard with a broad perspective and he is approaching Burgundy from a different angle. Crafting innovative and affordable wines, he combines the strengths and characters of individual regions throughout Burgundy.

TASTING NOTES

The wine is from winemaker Bernard Schurr who has applied his previous experience in Bordeaux and the South of France to fruit purchased from Marsannay and the Haute-Cotes de Nuits. The wine goes through a partial barrel ferment with battonage and 25% will see six months in new and older oak barrels while the remainder settles in stainless steel.

In the glass the wine is pale straw in hue and displays forward fruit aromas of melon, nectarine and white peach with a touch of grapefruit. There is a light dusting of soft spice, white flowersd, minerals and noughat but the appealing feature here is the bright, generous stone fruit characters on display. In the mouth the wine again displays, lovely, clean, generous stone fruit characters with peach and nectarine the most obvious and some citrus flourishes. The are hints of white flowers and spice and the wine is balanced with the supple fruit nicely set off by the wines minerally acidity.