Dog Point Chardonnay 2021
Dog Point Chardonnay shows how good Marlborough can be at producing Chardonnays. There is an elegance here that invites comparison with fine premier cru white Burgundy. It marries toasty complexity with superb ripe fruit. Perfect for buttery seafood dishes such as lobster.
The organically farmed fruit came from 78% Mendoza, and 22% Clone 95, with an average age of 27 years. The grapes were hand-picked and gently whole bunch pressed straight to French oak barrels (10% new) without clarification, and fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation took place, and the wine aged for 18 months in barrel, with regular lees stirring, before being bottled unfined and with minimal filtration.