Tohu Gisborne Chardonnay 2018

Tohu Gisborne Chardonnay 2018Spicy French oak Stonefruit Creamy butterscotch Juicy citrus A luminous golden hue in the glass, this Gisborne Chardonnay displays vibrant aromas of stonefruit and tropical fruits complemented with subtle hints of creamy butterscotch and toasted hazelnut. Medium bodied and elegantly textured on the palate, this luscious wine is perfectly balanced with notes of juicy citrus, ripe summer peach and a harmonious touch of spicy French oak. Tohu Wines have

• Spicy French oak
• Stonefruit
• Creamy butterscotch
• Juicy citrus

A luminous golden hue in the glass, this Gisborne Chardonnay displays vibrant aromas of stonefruit and tropical fruits complemented with subtle hints of creamy butterscotch and toasted hazelnut. Medium bodied and elegantly textured on the palate, this luscious wine is perfectly balanced with notes of juicy citrus, ripe summer peach and a harmonious touch of spicy French oak.

Tohu Wines have a long association with grape growing in the Gisborne area, which is renowned as one of New Zealand’s premium Chardonnay producing regions. Protected by mountain ranges to both the north and north west of the region, Gisborne’s climate is characterised by generally warm and dry conditions that are naturally moderated by cool sea breezes, acting to preserve natural acidity and ripe tropical fruit flavours within the grapes. The 2017-2018 season began with a typically warm but wet spring with strong early growth in the vines, however a cold spell over the flowering period in late November acted to slow growth and reduced yields. Fortunately, ideal summer conditions followed and the region was lucky enough to escape damaging rain events that hit the middle of the country just prior to harvest. A dry and warm April made for near perfect harvest conditions with grapes arriving at the winery with ideal ripeness and flavour profiles.

Picked at optimum ripeness, premium parcels of Chardonnay grapes were transported to the winery where they were gently pressed using a modern membrane press. After pressing the resulting juice was moved into stainless steel tanks and onto seasoned French oak for fermentation with purposely selected yeasts. After the primary yeast fermentation was complete the wine underwent full secondary malolactic fermentation on yeast lees, allowing richness and weight to develop. After a short period of lees stirring the wine was left to settle before being fined and filtered, ready for bottling in mid-December.