Description
Hand picked and gently pressed straight to barrel (10% new) for eighteen months. No juice clarification with 100% wild primary and secondary fermentations. Bottled without fining and with only minimal filtration. Gunflint, smoke and gravelly tones sit alongside the citrus core of fruit flavours. The extended barrel ageing of 18 months shows with nutty flavours and creamy texture. The hallmarks of Dog Point chardonnay are ever present here with pure saline and crisp palate structure. This vintage will have the ability to age well, 7-10 years.
Awards
96 pts The Real Review
94 pts James Suckling
5 stars Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide
17 pts Jancis Robinson
94 pts Wine Spectator Points
Certifications
Alcohol
13.5%
Analytical data
dry
Vineyard
Marlborough home vineyards on hill slopes and surrounding foothills with silt/clay loams.
Winemaker
Murray Cook
Harvest Notes
A warm growing season with very dry conditions between January and April with only 45mm falling (less than 30% of the average). A season which will be remembered for other reasons however, with a global pandemic affecting staffing movements and logistics but one where calm decision making and patience resulted in perfect ripening conditions, and a very rewarding season. One of the best the region has experienced in recent years.
Viticulture
6.2 tonnes/hectare. Vines are 27 years old on average. Some plantings dating back to 1981. Harvested 17th – 29th March 2020
Vinification
Hand picked and gently pressed straight to barrel (10% new) for eighteen months. No juice clarification with 100% wild primary and secondary fermentations. Bottled without fining and with only minimal filtration.
Maturation
Eighteen months in barrel (10% new).