Man O' War
Located at the eastern end of Waiheke Island, in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf, Man O’ War boasts a pristine and beautiful spread of coastal hillsides with high cliffs and stunning beaches. This rugged and beautiful coastline was "Discovered” in 1769 by Captain James Cook, and today we take responsibility for maintaining its beauty and integrity for future generations.
Today 150 acres of vines are strategically placed around Man O’ War’s 4500 acres, enhancing its intrinsic beauty. Meticulous design ensures that the distinct soil profile and microclimate of each block is used to best advantage with different rootstocks, clones and planting densities selected to match the specific terroir on offer.
At Man O’ War an exceptional and passionate team of people come together to bring you unique world class wines that reflect the distinctive treasure of land from which they come. Our winemaking team possesses broad and extensive experience and we pride ourselves on fusing classic Old World techniques with innovative New World ideas.
Man O’ War wines are presented in two collections that represent our hallmark elegance, balance and texture. Our Flagship - Black Label Range of Gravestone Sauvignon Semillon, Valhalla Chardonnay, Dreadnought Syrah and Ironclad Bordeaux Blend convey layers of complexity, structure and ageing potential. Each we have lovingly named to reflect their history and exceptional sense of place. While our Man O' War - White Label range expresses varietal character and fruit vibrancy in a classical style.
VALHALLA
The shining and golden hall in Norse mythology where the souls of fallen Viking warriors chosen by Odin feasted with the gods, the name Valhalla is conferred upon our finest barrels of chardonnay selected by our winemaker each year.
This wine is bottled and protected under screw cap as we believe it is the best closure for quality wine.
VINEYARD & CELLAR NOTES
Multiple passes through the vineyards were made to avoid any botrytis. Hand harvesting resulted in selections of fruit in very good condition with golden bunches showing ripe flavours and good acidity. Whole bunch pressed straight to a mix of 225 and 500 litre French oak barrels. A spontaneous fermentation was carried out by wild yeasts followed by elevage on lees for the winter. At the onset of Spring the wines had an addition of sulphur to halt the onset of Malolactic fermentation. Blended and bottled in the new year.
TASTING NOTES
The Valhalla Chardonnay shows complex savoury aromas supported by quality oak and typical fruit characters found at the ripe end of the Chardonnay flavour spectrum; grapefruit and marmalade characters with hints of apricot characters derived from a small amount of noble berries in the bunches. The palate has good weight balanced with vibrant acidity and quinine like freshness on the finish. A savoury complex wine that will reward time in the glass to open up or similarly time in the cellar to become perfectly integrated.
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