2025 International Wine Challenge 94 Points

“Fragrant and upfront lemon, pear and blossom. Youthful appeal, juicy and inviting.”

2025 International Wine Challenge, 30 May 2025

 Colour:  Pale straw.  Aroma:  Concentrated aromas of spice, toasted  cedar and savoury notes with a hint   of vanilla.  Palate:  Generous and rich with a luxurious  mouthfeel. The palate has a complex  array of flavours with savoury notes,  ripe peach, preserved lemon and a  toasty finish.  Ageing Potential:  Drinking beautifully now, this wine   will continue to evolve and reward   over the next five to ten years with  careful cellaring.  Viticulture:  Sourced primarily from Saint Clair’s  vineyards in Marlborough’s Omaka  valley where a combination of warm  days, cool nights and clay based soils  contribute to greater retention of  fruit flavours.  The fruit is a blend of  Chardonnay clones, predominantly  Mendoza and Burgundian Clone 95.  The vines were monitored carefully  during ripening and hand harvested  at optimum flavour maturity and  physiological ripeness.  Winemaker  Stewart Maclennan

Winemaking:    The fruit was lightly whole bunch  pressed and the juice fermented in a  mixture of American and French oak  barrels, seventeen per cent of which  were new, using selected yeast strains.  The wine underwent malolactic  fermentation, followed by nine months  aging on yeast lees with regular stirring.  Only the very best barrels were selected  for the Omaka Reserve Chardonnay.  Wine Analysis:    Alcohol 13% v/v  Residual sugar 2.36g/L  Acidity 5.8g/litre  pH 3.11  Food Match:  The perfect accompaniment for  succulent roast chicken with lemon  and garlic.