Hunter's Marlborough
In the last 25 years the province of Marlborough has moved from virtual obscurity to become New Zealand’s largest and best-known wine region with a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest sauvignon blanc. This huge potential was something that was recognised back in 1983 by Jane Hunter and her late husband Ernie when they founded their first fledgling winery in the picturesque Wairau Valley.
Since those early years Jane has been owner, viticulturist and managing director of what has become one of New Zealand’s most established wineries, Hunter’s Wines. Under her expertise, the original vineyard area has increased by 2.5 times its original size and the company’s annual output has grown to around 60,000 cases of wine, nearly half of which is exported.
HUNTER’S 2018 MARLBOROUGH CHARDONNAY
Winemaker’s Notes
A rich rounded wine with plenty of white stone-fruit characters of peach and nectarine. This fruit is further enhanced by the natural acidity and is balanced by the use of french oak to provide a fresh lingering finish.
Vinification
The Chardonnay grapes were machine harvested in the cool of the morning, then destemmed, crushed and pressed to stainless steel tanks. The juice was allowed to settle and was then racked and fermented using a neutral yeast. Approximately 40% of the juice was fermented in new French medium toasted barriques. The medium toasting allowed the fruit characters typical of Marlborough to show through the subtle French oak. After completing fermentation in stainless steel, the balance of the wine was aged in one and two year old oak for nine months, with approximately 25% undergoing malolactic fermentation. The malolactic fermentation is used to help lower the natural acid while still retaining fruit freshness and to give the wine a balance between acid, oak and fruit. Each vineyards fruit was fermented separately to allow more scope when blending.
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