Tasting note
Star bright and lemon in colour this Chardonnay is fruit
driven with stone fruit richness and lemon rind. Secondary
characters derived from ferment, bâtonnage and oak
contribute subtle notes of nougat and spice to the nose and
palate. The wine is medium bodied, citrus crisp and with a
good fresh presence. The acidity is gentle yet pleasing and
tapers the wine out to a long full finish.
Aromas and flavours:




Review
Review for Brightwater Gravels Chardonnay 2023:
Cameron Douglas MS
camdouglasms.com
Recommended
Aromas and flavours of red apples and white preaches, layers of fresh cream and vanilla along with a stone soil quality. Crisp and dry as the wine touches the palate, mediumweight with a light satin touch also, flavours of stone fruits and fresh orchard fruits. Balanced and well made with a crisp and dry finish. Best drinking from 2024 through 2026.
Additional information
Type: White wine from New Zealand.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Food match: Poultry, pasta with cream sauce, grilled fish, or simply as a companion to a relaxing evening on the terrace.
Vineyard: Nelson, New Zealand
Soil type: Flat alluvial soils overlaying free draining
gravels and clay base material.
Vintage Season 2023: Winter 2022 was not especially cold as local sea temperatures
remained warmish and influenced the land. Precipitation on
the other hand was frequent, and sometimes heavy. Budburst
was again early as we have become accustomed to with the
La Nina dominant weather umbrella. Spring growth was also
vigorous with water at field capacity in the soils, and warmer
temperatures.
The energetic spring conditions proved challenging for flowering and fruitset
resulting in variability within varieties and across regional sites. Periodic rain
events continued through summer and the vineyard vigor continued as well.
Temperatures remained warm so fruit development was not retarded. Fingers
were crossed from verasion and with a large amount of luck the rain held off and
fruit was allowed to ripen and be harvested. Picking started early March with the
Rose and was completed in a relatively short four week period. Grapes were once
again clean and ripe.
Regional climate: Nelson is regularly New Zealand’s sunniest region.
With young alluvial soils, abundant clean fresh water
and a sheltered topography, Nelson grows a wide range
of crops to exceptional standards. The proximity of
Nelson to the temperate Tasman Sea ensures minimal
frost risk and moderation of extreme daytime tempera-
tures. Grapes ripen evenly and slowly allowing full and
bright flavour development.
Winemaking: Chardonnay clones Mendoza and 15 – were harvested
together, early morning for this wine. The partially
clarified juice was inoculated for ferment in tank. The
yeast, chosen for its ability to reveal nutty, stone fruit
and citrus characters. The ferment was managed with
cooling to preserve the primary fruit characters and once
dry was transferred with fine lees to French oak. The lees
were stirred through the wine once a month and the wine
inoculated for the mystical malolactic fermentation where
bacteria covert malic acid to lactic, transforming the acid
profile of the wine. In the new year, the wine was stabilized
and readied bottling late January.
Wine style: dry
Alcohol: 13.5% vol
Bottle size: 0.75l
Notice: contains sulphites
Cellaring potential: 2026+
Closure: Screwcap
Produced and bottled by: Drinks Cabinet Limited, Atawhai, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
Imported by: vinabonus GmbH, Simmedenweg 40, 34134 Kassel, Germany.
To all Chardonnay wines