Spy Valley

Marlborough Chardonnay

Spy Valley Marlborough Chardonnay is grown in the Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley which has variable stony silt loam terraces with free-draining soils, and the Outpost Vineyard, Omaka Valley which is on a North facing hilltop, with windblown clay/loess over clay-bound gravel. The fruit was harvested over 6 separate hand picks, then pressed as whole bunches with the free-run juice briefly settled before draining to French oak barrels. The majority of barrels were left to undergo long slow spontaneous fermentation, with the separate batches being assembled 11 months after harvest. After blending, the wine was left to rest in tank for 10 months before preparation for bottling. The wine smells of fig and white peach with nutty notes from barrel ageing. The palate is crisp and bright, showing peach, melon, and orange skin flavours. It has a creamy mouthfeel with a delicate clean finish. Always a great candidate for cellaring, so expect this wine to be at its best 3-7 years after harvest, and confidently expect a rewarding wine until at least 2027.