From the winemaker…
Aromas of grapefruit, hazelnut, orange blossom, nectarine and sea spray. The palate is rich pure and integrated with a dense core of concentrated fruit, flavours taper to a salty mineral and long finish. Unfiltered wine with small amounts of sediment.
A 15 percent portion was foot crushed then all grapes were whole bunch pressed over a 4 hour press cycle. The juice was not settled, and no additions were made except vineyard derived yeast. Fermentation by yeast propagated from a vineyard starter from the Home vineyard in 500L tight grained French casks (23% new wood). The wine matured on fermentation lees and went through full malo-lactic fermentation in early spring. Blended to tank after 10 months. No fining or filtration.
The Home Vineyard is located 6 kilometres north east of the Waipara Junction, in the Omihi sub-district of Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. The slope is a north facing sedimentary clay fan on a gentle hill side slope. The soils are mainly Awapuni clay loam with calcium carbonate deposits.
BlackEstateHomeChardonnay-2018
Cameron Douglas MS 94pts Immediately complex bouquet loaded with minerality first then peach, grapefruit, preserved lemon, limestone and a nut-like complexity. Delicious and deliciously dry with flavours of a nut-like butter then peaches and whispers of pineapple, vanilla, some layers of toasty oak and a long detailed finish. A lovely wine poised for enjoyment by you. Decant first for immediate drinking with best drinking from late 2020 through 2025.
Bob Campbell MW 94 pts Straw, white gold hue. Aromas of grapefruit, hazelnut, orange blossom nectarine and sea spray. The palate is rich pure and integrated with a dense core of concentrated fruit. The flavours taper to a salty mineral and long finish. This is an unfiltered wine with small amounts of sediment. Please allow the bottle to stand and settle before pouring. Decanting will allow maximum expression of aroma and purity of fruit to emerge. Drink now to 2027.
Jamie Goode I’ve been following the wines of Black Estate for a while now, with interest. They farm organically and make wines in a lo-fi sort of way. This is interesting New Zealand, and these latest releases are really impressive.
Why we like it…
Waipara Valley is such an exciting district! Organic, biodynamic, unfiltered – we love this wine!
Decant before serving – this wine is unfiltered and unfined.
