Vavasour Papa Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2023

Vavasour Papa Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2023Named for the compacted blue grey mudstone that holds tight to the roots of our mature vines, Papa Chardonnay has pure stone fruit beautifully intertwined with notes of citrus blossom and hints of toasty almond. Subtle nuances of flint and the distinct saline minerality typical of the unique Awatere Valley terrior. A powerful palate of rich stone fruit, ripe citrus is supported by savoury elements from oak maturation and the intrigue of the Valleys

Named for the compacted blue-grey mudstone that holds tight to the roots of our mature vines, Papa Chardonnay has pure stone fruit beautifully intertwined with notes of citrus blossom and hints of toasty almond. Subtle nuances of flint and the distinct saline minerality typical of the unique Awatere Valley terrior. A powerful palate of rich stone fruit, ripe citrus is supported by savoury elements from oak maturation and the intrigue of the Valleys briny nuances. Some hidden power in this wine which is driven by a striking acidity indicative of a particularly good Chardonnay vintage in the Awatere Valley.

For all its raw beauty, the Awatere Valley is home to unforgiving soils, cool winds and some of the driest conditions in the country. But we have been here from the start. We know intimately how these very elements conspire to produce remarkable wines, like our Papa Chardonnay. Our Home Block Vineyard is an old river terrace. Original vines from 1986 are planted east to west resulting in staggered ripening and a variety of character from within the vineyard.

A promising start with adequate rainfall and fine warm spells through spring and into the start of summer ensuring good vine health and even fruit set. Favorable conditions continued into early January before sporadic rain events arrived, requiring careful vineyard management to preserve fruit. Warm and windy weather typical of the Awatere Valley returned during the harvest period rewarding those who patiently waited for ripeness to reach peak levels.

Fruit was hand harvested at full maturity and gently whole bunched pressed to stainless steel. Following a short settling period the juice was racked to barrels. A pied de cuve vineyard starter culture was used to initiate fermentation and amplify the wines provenance. Barrels were stirred weekly through malolactic conversion to increase texture and structure. Following malolactic, the wine sat sur lie in barrel for 10 months to enhance weight and complexity. The wine was blended the following summer and prepped for bottling in early March 2024.