WRIGHTS GW CHARDONNAY 2001

This style of wine is fruit-driven, concentrating on the natural flavours in the grape. The GW range of wines has not been produced with animal by-products or dairy products, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians to enjoy. The wine is the first in New Zealand to be fully certified vegetarian through the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.

The grapes come from organic Clone 15 Chardonnay vines, at Back Ormond near the city of Gisborne. The growers are Kevin and Karen Parker of Gisborne. The grapes came in at 23.2 brix, with intense nectarine and apricot flavours. The winemaking approach maximises the bouquet, by allowing for extra skin contact at the pressing stage, maintaining a cool ferment and using yeasts that have enzymes that work on releasing bounded flavours.

Skin contact works on extracting more flavours from the grapes. The cool ferment allows the wine to retain these flavours while undergoing its fermentation. And the yeasts work on releasing flavours within the wine at an earlier stage, not normally obtainable in young wine.

The wine has been integrated with new french oak. No malolactic fermentation has occurred, as I am wanting to maintain the fruit flavours of the Chardonnay, which Gisborne, 'Chardonnay Capital' is so renowned for. The Wrights GW Chardonnay reflects these, harmonising delicious pineapple, quince and tropical fruit flavours.

This wine is currently available through outlets, Wrights Wines has sold out.