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2011 Heytesbury Chardonnay
A barrel selection of the very best Chardonnay parcels from the 2011 vintage. It was fermented entirely with wild yeasts and matured in French oak barriques with battonage for nine months. Our style of Chardonnay has developed significantly over recent years with complex vineyard character coming from less clarified juice and natural yeast.
Tasting Notes
COLOUR
Bright pale straw with a green tinge.
NOSE
A complex and powerful perfume. Bursting with fragrant pineapple and lemon freshness, the nose gently releases its cache of wild barrel ferment characters. Crusty apple pie, pretty lavender, struck stone flintiness, plus subtle lamb fat and bay leaf provide shadow and depth to the bright citrus that shines from the core.
PALATE
Intricate, luscious and mouth-watering, reflecting pineapple, custard apple and water chestnut, lightly spiced with cloves, vanillan oak and almond biscuit flavours. Opens with juicy fruit and evolves to a tight acid drying finish, that carries the pristine and complex flavours for remarkable length.
Winemaker Notes
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Small batches were selected from the finest sections of our best vineyards and clones. Each batch was very gently pressed and the juice then transferred to barriques with the inclusion of some solids to achieve more intense ferment characters and palate weight. Each batch was fermented �wild� with no yeast addition and was stirred throughout the nine months of maturation, allowing the yeast lees to impart further complexity, texture and palate weight to the wine. With bright, natural acidity a priority, no malolactic fermentation was encouraged, though a small amount occured in 2011.
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Production Notes
100% Chardonnay
Alcohol %
13
Aging
Drinking beautifully now, will reward cellaring over the next 3-5 years.
Harvest Date
February 2011
Fermentation
100% French oak, 9 months (62% new, 38% 1-2 year old)
Acid
7.0g/L
pH
3.21
Residual Sugar
1.6g/L
Bottling Date
January 2012
Vintage Notes
2011
VINTAGE DESCRIPTION
An exceptionally dry Spring resulted in small balanced canopies and early development stages. A very warm Summer with timely rainfall around veraison was followed by rapid ripening to an early vintage. Whites were harvested in a very short time frame though retained good acid.
