Old Coach Road Nelson Chardonnay 2013

Wine Analysis

Vineyard: Seifried Rabbit Island Vineyard
Sugar at Harvest: 23.2°Brix
Residual Sugar: 2.5g/L (dry)
Date of Harvest: Early April 2013
pH of Wine: 3.52
T.A of Wine: 6.3g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians: Yes

The Vineyard

Our Rabbit Island Vineyards are situated on a wide river flat. The soil is made up of gravelly sandy loam, which marks the sites of Maori kumara beds (sweet potato) prior to European settlement in the early 1800’s. The Maori transferred and spread fine gravel and sand over the land to provide suitable soils for their kumara plantings. Scrub was burned to give ash and charcoal, which increased soil fertility and gave characteristic topsoil. This fertility is now considerably reduced due to modern farming. The soils are, however, very sandy and free draining. The water table is relatively high ensuring adequate underground water.

Winemakers Note

Careful canopy management and leaf removal around the fruit zone allowed the sun to fully ripen the grapes. After picking, the grapes were transported to the winery where they were gently de-stemmed and pressed.

The juice was settled and fermented at a cool temperature to retain fruit aromas. On completion of the primary fermentation, 70% of the wine was aged in French and American one, two and three year old oak. Malolactic fermentation was then completed on 40% of the blend. Vineyard parcels were picked, fermented and barrel aged separately and finally blended and bottled in February 2014.

Tasting Note

The 2013 Old Coach Road Chardonnay has plenty of warm oak and ripe fruit on the nose. The palate delivers with ripe nectarine and butterscotch flavours, with fine oak tannins defining the palate and leaving a tail of flavour.

"Generally with wine you get what you pay for, but with this Nelson beauty, happily, you get much more. Made by the clever hands at Seifried Estate, it's classic fruit-driven chardonnay with a twist of vanilla and spice oak, delivering everything you want in a wine."

- Emma Jenkins MW, Imbibe, March 2014

 

"This affordable, high-flavoured wine from Seifried slides down easily. Fresh, citrusy and peachy, with hints of butter and toast and good depth, it's an enjoyable, drink-young style."

- Michael Cooper, The Listener, October 2014