Sutherland Chardonnay 2018

92 Points - Tim Atkin MW

This wine shows pure citrus fruit, creamy oak and a touch of savouriness on the palate with a lovely fresh finish. Showing surprising complexity for such a young wine and will age gracefully.

Maturation

Drinking well, and will develop for 4 more years.

Food Pairing

Mild risottos, chicken salads and seafood dishes.

Winemaker's Comments

This wine shows pure citrus fruit, creamy oak and a touch of savouriness on the palate with a lovely fresh finish. Showing surprising complexity for such a young wine and will age gracefully.

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Tasting Notes

Viticultural Practices

Varietal	Chardonnay – Clones CY 270, CY 548A, CY 95/96 and 277D
Root stock	Richter 110 and 101 – 14 Mgt
Soil type	Tukulu
Age of vines	Planted August 2004
Plant density	2300 – 2500 vines/ha
Trellising	7 wire Perold with moveable foliage wires
Pruning	Spur pruning
Yield	Approximately 12.8 t/ha
Irrigation	Drip irrigation
Vintage	A warm, dry vintage with a late start, resulted in smaller tonnage but yielding balanced, well structured wines with lovely intensity.
Picking date	14 February 2018
Grape sugar	22.0 - 22.3 °B
Acidity	7.1 g/l
pH at harvest	3.34

Winemaking Practices

Yeasts	LalVinM
Fermentation temp	19 °C
Method	Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in 228 L French oak barrels. The wine spends 10 months on its gross fermentation lees, with the lees being stirred on a regular basis.