Richmond Plains Chardonnay is an elegant wine made with a light oak influence to showcase the fresh fruity flavours.  It can be enjoyed on its own or with a wide variety of meals, particularly seafood and white meats.

Tasting:  Attractive peach and vanilla aromas. Fresh fruity peach and nectarine flavours with a refreshing citrus finish and a subtle touch of oak.

Vintage:  Beautiful ripe fruit.  Grapes were 2/3rds whole bunch pressed and 1/3^rd destemmed before being crushed.  Juice (45%) was transferred into French oak barrels (15% new) where it naturally underwent wild yeast ferment the remainder was fermented in steel tanks with oak staves.  The wine was stirred on its lees to add texture complexity and aroma.  40% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation to soften acids and add a rich character to the wine.

Diet:  This wine is suitable for a vegan diet.

Analysis:  Alcohol 13.5%          Acidity 6.2 gms/L

GOLD MEDAL - New Zealand Organic Wine Awards

Bright, light straw-yellow colour with golden hues, pale on the rim.  This has a very elegant nose, near small-scaled, but showing attractively ripe citrus and yellow stonefruit aromas along with creamy barrel-ferment elements, nutty oak and delicate, buttery MLF nuances, unfolding flinty suggestions.  This is delicate and subtle in expression.  Medium-bodied and fine in proportion, the palate is tightly bound with citrus and yellow stonefruit flavours.  The fruit is refreshing and vibrant and enlivened by lacy acidity.  Spicy oak notes unfold revealing toasty elements.  The briskness is balanced by creamy barrel-ferment textures and the wine flows to a long, lingering finish of citrus fruits, nuts and spicy, toasty oak.  This is a very elegant, fine and refreshing, citrussy Chardonnay with creamy and toasty oak.

***** 5 Stars - Raymond Chan