Seifried Nelson Chardonnay 2017

Vineyard: Seifried Redwood Valley, Rabbit Island and Brightwater Vineyards
Sugar at Harvest: 23.4°Brix
Date of Harvest: Early April 2017
pH of Wine: 3.41
T.A of Wine: 5.5g/L
Residual Sugar of Wine: dry (<1g/L)
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

The Vineyards

The 2017 Seifried Nelson Chardonnay is a blend of fruit from our north facing clay site in Redwood Valley and our two vineyard sites located in the Waimea Plains.

Our unirrigated Redwood Valley Vineyard has vines dating back to the early 1980’s. Vertical shoot positioning helps to expose the berries to sunlight, thus getting maximum intensity and optimal ripeness.

Our Rabbit Island vineyards are situated on a wide river flat, where the soils are very sandy and free draining. These vineyards are about 1.5 kilometres from the sea, which helps moderate temperatures.

The Brightwater Vineyard, which is 15km from the coast and is sheltered from the south by the Richmond Ranges. The ‘soil’ is a combination of rocks and boulders which is vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun.

Winemakers Note

The ‘hen and chicken’ berries of the Mendoza clone of Chardonnay used in this blend give full tropical flavours. The fruit was harvested, brought to the winery and pressed immediately then cooled for a 24 hour settling period.

Following this, the juice was racked then warmed for inoculation. Primary alcoholic fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks with the young wine then being gravity fed into one, two and three year old French barriques. The Chardonnay then underwent malolactic fermentation in spring 2017 in barrel. Barrels were hand stirred regularly to build palate weight and structure. The wine then sat on lees for a further 11 months or so before being racked from barrique, blended and prepared for bottling.

Tasting Note

The 2017 Seifried Nelson Chardonnay is beautifully balanced and poised. The nose has tree ripened summer stonefruit, brioche and roasted hazelnuts. The palate is generous with layers of fruit, smooth toasty oak and velvety textured phenolics.