Highland Heritage

Mt Canobolas Cellar Release Chardonnay 2016

Oak Maturation: 9 months in new and one year old French oak barriques. Monthly batonnage on lees. 
Vintage: The 2016 vintage cold and wet in the early part of the season. The temperature then spiked in early October continuing to a mixture of warm days wet days and cool dry nights in the latter part of the season. Most rainfall was in the pre Spring growing period with drip irrigation required towards the end of the growing period around April.  
Winemakers Comments: Only free run juice used in this wine, inoculated with Burgundian yeast strains. Barrel & malolactic fermentation at 20 degrees celcius. Lees stirring over a nine month storage period.
Tasting Note: The colour is a vibrant straw with tinges of pale green. The nose shows peach and melon characters with subtle spicy vanilla wood characters. Undertones of cashew, butterscotch and vegemite “umami” from extended lees contact and careful oak selection. The pallet is showing rich peach and pear fruit with spicy undertones. Extended lees contact in French Oak barriques adds dimension and length to the wine providing great texture, intense flavour through the length of the pallet. The wines finished dry with crisp acidity and a gratifying creamy finish. The extra bottle age has enhanced the pallet texture and mouth feel.
Food: Raw and lightly cooked shellfish like crab and prawns, steamed or grilled fish, fish pâtés, fish, chicken or vegetable terrines and pasta or risotto with spring vegetables. Also goes well with creamy vegetable soups.