Rapaura Springs Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2020

Rapaura Springs Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2020French oak Honeysuckle Citrus Harmonious "Brilliant, pale straw yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is enticing and mealy, nuances of buttery pastry layer intermix crunchy mineral, stonefruit and a touch of barrel spices. Medium full bodied, rounded mouthfeel carries buttery pastry, stonefruit, melon with intensity, unfolding vanilla, barrel spices and stony mineral details. The palate is clean with fruit's purity and crisp acidity. Chalky

• French oak
• Honeysuckle
• Citrus
• Harmonious

"Brilliant, pale straw-yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is enticing and mealy, nuances of buttery pastry layer intermix crunchy mineral, stonefruit and a touch of barrel spices. Medium-full bodied, rounded mouthfeel carries buttery pastry, stonefruit, melon with intensity, unfolding vanilla, barrel spices and stony mineral details. The palate is clean with fruit's purity and crisp acidity. Chalky phenolic texture and soft butter added mouthfeel. Subtle spices linger with melon fruit to a sustained, refined finish. This is a harmonious, generous Chardonnay with fruit intensity and elegant secondary details on a fine-textured palate. Match with roasted chicken and grilled seafood over the next 4-5 years" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, May 2021

"Gorgeously styled and immediately appealing with ripe peach, baked fig, cedar and vanilla characters on the nose. The beautifully rounded palate displays excellent weight and supple mouthfeel, well supported by creamy texture and refreshing acidity, finishing persistent and satisfying" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Apr 2021

"Aromas of toasty barrel and white fleshed stone fruits, vanilla and nut, a touch of raw sugar and baking spices, roasted peach and a dry river stone minerality.  Creaminess and weight on the palate with a core of fruit, smokey barrel flavours and acidity bring together a very nice palate of flavours and textures. Balanced and well made" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, May 2021

Rapaura Springs Reserve Chardonnay is rich and flavourful. Each bottle is bursting with honeysuckle, white peach, nectarine and fresh citrus, all complemented by toasty vanilla and subtle spiced oak characters

The Reserve wines are expertly crafted from selected vineyards with impressive flavour concentration and palate weight. Each bottle of Rapaura Springs tells the story of a lifetime. Of water and wine, and of generations of family working with nature. The label depicts the rocky aquifer at their home vineyard, and the pristine springs that connect it to the land. They make exceptional wines that reflect the remarkable landscapes, pure waterways and passionate people.

Fruit for their 2020 Reserve Chardonnay is grown predominately in the Southern Valleys sub-region. Perfect weather over flowering in the spring of 2019 produced unprecedented berry numbers. Fortunately, the driest summer on record then suppressed the berry growth. By harvest time, berry size was small to moderate, which has given the wines substantial structure and concentration. Late summer brought Marlborough’s trademark cooler nights, that are so important to their aromatic qualities and retention of acidity. The introduction of a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 coincided with the beginning of the harvest. Their vineyard and winery teams moved incredibly fast to adhere to the very strict distancing and hygiene protocols to allow them to continue to operate. Favourable weather allowed them to pick our Chardonnay when perfectly ripe.

After harvest, the fruit was pressed, and the juice fermented in a combination of French oak barriques and puncheons, with 20% new oak. Malolactic fermentation has softened the wine and added extra texture and complexity to the palate.