Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay 2018

Wine Analysis

Vineyard: Seifried Brightwater & Rabbit Island Vineyards
Sugar at Harvest: 22.8°Brix
Date of Harvest: Late March 2018
pH of Wine: 3.37
T.A of Wine: 5.8g/L
Residual Sugar: <1g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

The Vineyard

The Chardonnay fruit for our 2018 Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay is a blend of fruit from our Brightwater and Rabbit Island vineyards. 

The Brightwater vineyard is situated 15 km from the coast and sheltered from the south by the Richmond Ranges. The ‘soil’ is a combination of rocks and boulders which is very hard on the farm equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun and for ripening the newly established vines.

The Rabbit Island vineyard is situated on a wide river that. The soil is gravelly loam which is very sandy and free draining. These vineyards are about 1.5 kilometres from the sea which helps moderate temperatures.

Winemakers Note

Traditionally Chardonnay is made in an oaked style, however we are often asked: what does Chardonnay as a grape variety with no oak ageing taste like? This is it!

The fruit for our 2018 Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay came into the winery in lovely, clean and healthy condition. The grapes were pressed, and the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to capture the natural tropical fruit characters of the grape variety, without influence from oak. The 2018 Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay has undergone partial maloactic fermentation to soften natural acidity. The wine was then stabilised and bottled in November 2018.

Tasting Note

The 2018 Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay is clean and varietal with tropical fruit notes on the nose. The palate is broad and generous, with flavoursome melon and bready characters. A soft lingering finish leaves you wanting another sip.