Winemaker:
Stewart Maclennan and Hamish Clark

Colour:
Pale gold

Aroma:
Fragrant peach, toasted spice and subtle vanilla notes.

Palate:
Concentrated, elegant and silky with flavours of fresh peach, toasty oak spice, a hint of vanilla and roasted chestnut notes with a lingering finish.

Ageing potential:
Drinking beautifully now, this wine will continue to evolve and reward over the next five to ten years with careful cellaring.

Winemaking:
The fruit was lightly whole bunch pressed and the juice fermented in American oak barrels, forty-five per cent of which were new, using selected yeast strains. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation, followed by ten months ageing on yeast lees with regular stirring. Only the very best barrels were selected for the Omaka Reserve Chardonnay.

Viticulture:
Sourced primarily from Saint Clair’s vineyards in Marlborough’s Omaka Valley where a combination of warm days, cool nights and clay-based soils contribute to greater retention of fruit flavours. The fruit is a blend of Chardonnay clones, predominantly Mendoza and Burgundian Clone 95. The vines were monitored carefully during ripening and hand-harvested at optimum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness.

Analysis:
Alcohol 13.0% v/v, Residual sugar 1.4g/litre, Acidity 5.5g/litre, pH 3.49

Food match:
This is Saint Clair’s owners Neal and Judy Ibbotson’s perfect wine to have alongside succulent roast chicken with lemon and garlic.

Awards:

91 Points - Robert Parker Wine Advocate USA 2020

4.5 Stars - Winestate New Release Australia 2020