2018 Giesen Small Batch Chardonnay, Marlborough

Hand selected grapes were pressed and the juice was settled for 12 hours before transfer to French Oak barrels for fermentation. A selection of yeast strains were used to both capture and enhance the multitude of aromas and flavours within the fruit. To help develop a creamy texture, the chardonnay was left on lees in barrel for nine months. After a barrel selection tasting, the Small Batch Chardonnay blend was finalised, filtered and bottled with minimal handling

The 2018 growing season was legendary, with the hottest January on record and one of the best flowerings in living memory. Due to this unusually hot growing season, plentiful bunches of evenly ripened berries were harvested nearly two weeks earlier than usual. The season gave fruit with bright acidity which is an important characteristic to this wine’s careful balance of luscious tropical fruit characters and refreshing acidity.