THE NED CHARDONNAY 2023

TASTING NOTE

A fruit driven Chardonnay with white nectarine and loquat aromas elevated by notes of vanilla, cinnamon and lightly toasted brioche. The palate is plush and creamy from the near full malolactic conversion, swathed in warm French oak spice with fine acid tension on the finish.

FOOD MATCHING

A food friendly style that will complement a broad array of cuisine, from light seafood and salad dishes to creamy pasta and white meat. We recommend pairing. The Ned Chardonnay 2023 with creamy wild mushroom risotto or lemon baked chicken thigh with a light green salad accompaniment.

CELLARING POTENTIAL

Crafted to be enjoyed at the peak of its vibrancy and freshness, we recommend drinking this wine within 2-3 years of vintage date.

ORIGIN

Marlborough, New Zealand

WINEMAKING

Ripe chardonnay fruit was completely destemmed before being gently pressed and the juice settled prior to fermentation. Fermentation was carried out in a mixture of 500L French oak puncheons and temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks. Following fermentation, the wine was aged on full yeast lees for a further 9 months with periodic yeast lees stirring to build mouthfeel. During this time a portion of the batches underwent malolactic
fermentation adding further texture and complexity.

ANALYSIS

• Alcohol 14.0%
• pH 3.46
• Titratable Acidity 5.3g/L
• Residual Sugar 2.2g/L
• Vegan Certified

VINTAGE

A warm and wet winter spurred an early start to the growing season with fully charged soil moistures and warm ambient temperatures in early spring. The few frosts through September and October did little to disrupt the healthy development of strong, lush canopies.

Flowering began with cooler temperatures and periodic bouts of rain in the early summer, with the weather improving as we headed towards Christmas; typical with respect to warmth, sunshine hours and rainfall. Late summer warmth in late February and March along with careful canopy management, delivered slowly ripened, disease free, incredibly clean fruit!

Harvest commenced in mid-March. Due to the long, cool ripening season, fruit was harvested significantly later than usual but retained all of its vibrancy of flavour and crisp, ripe acids.

The team are excited by the bright flavour expressions and huge diversity of character coming through in the wines of the 2023 vintage.

Right in the heart of the magical Waihopai Valley, a million miles from anywhere, lies The Ned - one of Marlborough's most famous peaks - and the childhood playground for founder and winemaker, Brent Marris. It's a place where nights are two degrees colder and days two degrees hotter. Where possibilities take hold and good times unfold, where the young at heart thrive. And where there's liveliness and adventure in every bottle.