2022 Estate Grown Chardonnay
92 points, Rick VanSickle, WinesInNiagara.com
"...A beauty of a wine at this price."
Winemaker's Notes:
Aromatics are gentle and refined, hinting at tropical pineapple, citrusy lemon and grapefruit, Granny Smith apple and a trace of oak-vanilla. The texture is plush, livened by smart acidity. Green apple, tropical and citrus fruit characters extend to the palate, leaving impressions of baked apple and lime.
This vintage is composed of 70% chardonnay, 30% chardonnay musque.
Made entirely from hand-picked fruit, the wine consists 64% of chardonnay from the Moira Vineyard and 6% chardonnay from the Mottiar Vineyard, and 30% of chardonnay musque from the Malivoire Estate site, selected to contribute aromatics to the final product. All sites taken together, the average age of the vines was 24 years.
Destemmed grapes were pressed, 70% of the juice underwent primary and partial malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, while the remainder vinified in neutral French oak barrels. After 11 months, the portions were combined and bottled in August 2023.
Dry: 1 g/L residual sugar
When bottled, alcohol measured 12.5%, residual sugar 1 gram per litre, titratable acidity 7 grams per litre and pH 3.35.
Vegan friendly.
Companion Foods:
An excellent companion for a wide variety of foods including with grilled salmon or pork chops. Serve near 10° C.
LCBO Vintages Essential
92 points, Rick VanSickle, WinesInNiagara.com
The estate Chardonnay is a blend of both the Mottiar Vineyard (owned by Shiraz Mottiar on the Beamsville Bench) and estate fruit that’s aged on a combination of new and older French oak barrels. Such gorgeous elegance and poise on the nose with salinity and wet stones to go with pear, apple, toasted almonds, lemon/citrus and just a pinch of spice. It’s harmonious on the palate with the ripe, layered orchard fruits and citrus folding seamlessly into the flinty/stony/nutty accents, elegant spices, and fresh, lively finish. A beauty of a wine at this price.