Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay 2020

88 Points (4 Stars) - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit 2020

Vineyard: Seifried Rabbit Island, Redwood Valley and Brightwater vineyards
Sugar at Harvest: 23°Brix
Date of Harvest: Mid March 2020
pH of Wine: 3.38
T.A of Wine: 5.5g/L
Residual Sugar: 2.5g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

The Chardonnay fruit for our 2020 Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay is a blend of fruit from our Rabbit Island, Redwood Valley and Brightwater vineyards.

The Rabbit Island vineyard is situated on a wide river flat. The soil is gravelly, sandy loam, which is very free-draining. These vineyards are about 1.5 km from the sea which helps moderate temperatures.

The unirrigated Redwood Valley vineyard is situated on a gently sloping, north-facing clay site; the vines range in age from 10 to 30 years. Vertical shoot positioning helps to expose the berries to sunlight, thus getting maximum intensity and optimal ripeness.

Our Brightwater vineyard is situated 15 km from the coast and is sheltered from the south by the Richmond ranges. The ‘soil’ is a combination of rocks and boulders, which is very hard on farm equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun and for ripening the grapes.

Traditionally Chardonnay is made in an oaked style, however we are often asked: what does Chardonnay as a grape variety with no oak ageing taste like? This is it!

The fruit for our 2020 Old Coach Road Nelson Unoaked Chardonnay came into the winery in perfect condition. The grapes were pressed, and the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks to capture the natural tropical fruit characters of the grape variety, without influence from oak. The wine has undergone partial maloactic fermentation to soften natural acidity before being stabilised and bottled in September 2020.