Pare ‘Bowyer Ridge’ Chardonnay 2022

The Bowyer Ridge vineyard was planted to Chardonnay in 2003. The soil comprises of red loam with mica schist and ironstone and is located just outside of Lobethal in Kenton Valley at 490 metres above sea level. They source from two different blocks, planted in Bernard clones 76 & 96. This cool site retains acidity and balance, leading to an elegant but powerful wine. 

The goal with their winemaking is to reflect this unique site and the vintage conditions specific to 2022. As such, they pick early in the morning and whole bunch press the fruit while it is still cold, ferment using wild yeast in a mixture of old and new French barriques (50% barriques). The wine is matured for 15 months prior to bottling.

Supple, succulent, packed with flavour yet light on its feet. Just-ripe stone fruits with hazy green apple juice, a touch of nougat, some sweet spice, a core of briny minerality and a lick of honeycomb, barely there but lending some nuance about the wine's age at tasting. Complex, layered and even; beautiful of poise and character.