Envoy Johnson Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2017

Envoy Johnson Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2017Ripe citrus fruit is the base, with white peach, hazelnut and some creamy, nutmeg barrel notes. Citrus fruit is accentuated with a crisp acid backbone. A smooth palate structure shows savoury and nutty barrel influences. Expect good things with time in the bottle. The primary fruit characters should continue to unfold for several years. Nutty and savoury complexities will continue to build and provide great interest through 2022 2027. Waihopai Valley

Ripe citrus fruit is the base, with white peach, hazelnut and some creamy, nutmeg barrel notes. Citrus fruit is accentuated with a crisp acid backbone. A smooth palate structure shows savoury and nutty barrel influences. Expect good things with time in the bottle. The primary fruit characters should continue to unfold for several years. Nutty and savoury complexities will continue to build and provide great interest through 2022-2027.

Waihopai Valley B Block 87 %. Alluvial stony silt loam, very well drained. Omaka Valley 13%. North facing hillside, clay/loess over clay bound glacial gravel. Vertical shoot positioning, shoot and bunch thinning to restrict yield. Open canopies with high bunch exposure to sunlight.

2017 proved to suit Chardonnay nicely. A pleasant summer led to a cooler period immediately before harvest – perfect for retaining acidity and flavour at the time of Chardonnay ripening.

Handpicked in the cool of morning, the juice was gently pressed direct to barrels and left to ferment. The most promising barrels from two blocks were selected and blended for further ageing. After a final selection 14 barrels were blended prior to bottling in January 2019.