• French oak
• Ripe stonefruit & citrus
• Bread crumb & vanilla bean
• Vibrant acidity

"Bright, pale straw yellow colour even throughout. The nose is softly concentrated and elegant, penetrating aromas of ripe stonefruit, citrus entwined with lifted spice and a subtle layer of oak. Medium-bodied, aromas of ripe apricot, grapefruit have a concentrated core, citrus zest followed by delicate white spice. The acidity is vibrant and fluid with precision, carrying the fruit and spice to linearity; fine-textured phenolics added oak presence and mouthfeel. Well-balanced oak elements adorn this elegant Chardonnay with ripe fruit and a taut acid precision. Match with kingfish and pork over the next 5+ years. Handpicked, whole bunch pressed, barrel-fermented to 14.5% alc, aged 9 months in 500L French Oak Puncheons, 25% new, 75% 3-year-old. 180 cases produced" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Apr 2022

The grapes have been handpicked and whole bunch pressed before barrel fermentation. Generous and textural palate combining minerality and richness with long lasting aromas of white flowers, bread crumb and complex spices – fresh ginger, white pepper and vanilla bean.

A one in eighty year drought for the Waitaki saw creeks dry and pastures crack early in Spring of 2020. Leaving the vineyard crew racing to turn on irrigation not used in 15 years. With the dry conditions the risk of frost increased and with the influence of the October full moon our Q WINE vineyard took some damage.

Flowering proved to be successful for our Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, however there were some cooler conditions during the Chardonnay flowering period which did reduce our Chardonnay crop size.

The drought breaker come with a massive rain event in early January setting up a beautiful healthy canopy across the whole vineyard and great fruit. The race towards harvest was aided by dry and hot ripening conditions all the way to one of Waitaki’s earliest and best vintages.