Seifried Nelson Chardonnay 2021

Vineyard: Seifried Rabbit Island vineyard
Sugar at Harvest: 23.6°Brix
Date of Harvest: Mid March 2022
pH of Wine: 3.34
T.A of Wine: 6.4g/L
Residual Sugar of Wine: <1g/L (dry)
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

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

The ‘hen and chicken’ berries of the Mendoza clone of Chardonnay used in this blend give full tropical flavours. The fruit was harvested, brought to the winery, and pressed immediately, then cooled for a 24-hour settling period.

Following this, the juice was racked and warmed for inoculation. Primary alcoholic fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks, with the young wine then being gravity fed into one, two and three-year-old French barriques. In spring 2022, Chardonnay then underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel. Barrels were hand-stirred regularly to build palate weight and structure. The wine then sat on lees for a total of 12 months before being racked from barrique, blended and prepared for bottling.