Personalised Swinging Bridge Mrs Payten Chardonnay 13.4% 750ml

Personalised Swinging Bridge Mrs Payten Chardonnay 13.4% 750ml

TASTING NOTES

APPEARANCE

Clear, pale lemon.

AROMA

Fresh white peach, lemon juice, and white blossom.

PALATE

Light bodied with a bright but soft acid structure. Stone fruits and white florals with a soft smooth finish.

VINIFICATION

The fruit was picked from our Hill Park (Block 7) and Caldwell Lane Vineyards (Blocks D and A), as well as Coole Park Vineyard (Block 1). The fruit is then taken straight to the press and pressed to tank, left to settle briefly then racked to barrel, taking a fair amount of solids, and left for wild ferment. The barrels consist of 20% new hogsheads and puncheons, from a mixture of French Tonneliers that are well suited to Chardonnay in Orange. Fermentation occurs as quickly as possible, before 30% goes through malolactic conversion. The barrels are stirred every couple of weeks initially and then less frequently until the right texture is achieved, differing for each individual barrel. The barrels are then tasted separately and put together for the final blend, ready for bottling in late November.

VINTAGE NOTES

The vintage began with some extremely abnormally cool and wet conditions from September through to December. These low temperatures saw a late bud burst leading to some low bud initiation and small bunch sizes in Chardonnay across the region. These conditions lead to diligent efforts in our vineyards to open up the fruit zone via extensive leaf plucking, thinning and trimming. The second half of the vintage saw a turn of events with above average temperatures for January, February and March allowing the Chardonnay to reach optimal ripeness whilst retaining beautiful natural acids from the cooler start to vintage.

FOOD MATCHING

Crisp skinned ocean trout with mint peas and shallots.

CELLARING POTENTIAL

This is a wine that will reward cellaring.

RANGE NOTES

The Swinging Bridge Winemaker Series, like their namesakes, are unique. They reflect the best of the Orange Region, capturing the essence and terroir of the vineyard. As was Mrs Payten, Tom’s grandmother, these are wines of style, elegance and finesse. This Chardonnay was first released to celebrate Armah’s 90th Birthday in 2013 and was matured in tightly grained French Oak, balancing its rich stone fruit and grapefruit characters.