Plume by Lake Chalice Marlborough Chardonnay 2022

"Immensely complex and engaging, the wine shows ripe stone fruit, rockmelon, vanillin oak and brioche characters on the nose. The palate displays excellent concentration and refined mouthfeel, wonderfully complemented by plush texture and beautifully pitched acidity. Graceful and stylish, making it hugely appealing. At its best: now to 2032" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "This wild, barrel-fermented Chardonnay possesses an ethereal creamy thread, elevated by spice and an enlivening acid line that lingers to a graceful finish" Candice Chow, Wine Chat "A lovely and fine bouquet with some elegance and core varietal signature of fresh peach and apple, grapefruit and layers of oak. Not too intense. Delicious on the palate with an elegance and sophistication stemming from flavours of citrus and stone fruits, some fine wood spices and lick of wood smoke, there’s a claystone mineral quality accentuated by acidity and tannins. Well made, dry and with a satin-cream mouthfeel. Best drinking from day of purchase through 2029" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Oct 2024 "Tightly wound aromas of Meyer lemons, passion-fruit curd, white rose petals and flint. The palate is medium-bodied with high-tension acidity and creamy texture, giving notes of grilled pineapple, Asian pears and yellow apple skin. Nicely balanced and refined. Drink or hold" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com Delicate aromas of perfumed spice, white stone fruit, nectarine and roasted hazelnut. The palate is intense and opulent with savoury, ripe stone fruit and oyster shell. There is an underlying cinnamon powder spice that leads to a toasty, persistent finish. The fruit was hand-harvested and then gently whole bunch pressed to tank before immediately going to barrel. It spends very little time in the tank – only hours, compared to days settling for our other parcels. The wine then goes through a wild primary fermentation followed with a wild malolactic fermentation, where it is stirred on its lees before completion and then left to settle naturally in barrel for close to 10 months. Winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen describes creating this Chardonnay as a blank canvas. “We’ve selected only the very best barrels from within the batch. Each barrel adding a layer of complexity to the blend because we have so many components to choose from, adding different aspects of oak influence from the coopers, texture from oak or solids and flavour profile from the fermentations.”