Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2010

The unusual 2010 growing season has resulted in an extraordinary Elston. Our already low cropping chardonnay vines had their crop reduced by a cold snap during their spring flowering. This, coupled with the mild summer heat and an extended dry autumn, has produced an intensity of aroma and flavour in Elston 2010 that is arresting.

Between 18 March and 1 April 2010, the separate parcels of grapes were hand harvested from their individual plots within Te Mata Estate’s vineyards. Each parcel was gently whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, and racked to new and seasoned French oak barrels for fermentation. The resulting wines remained in contact with their yeast lees while undergoing complete malolactic fermentation. The finest lots were selected for further maturation, spending a total of twelve months in barrel. The finished wines were then blended and bottled in March 2011.

Elston ’10 has an intensely bright golden colour and a nose of white peach, oatmeal and meadow flowers. The palate shows the concentration of superbly ripe fruit, with richness and intensity, balanced by crisp length. Great cellaring potential. Lovely! Elston ’10 will continue to evolve in bottle for five years from harvest.