Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawkes Bay Chenin Blanc 2020

This wine reveals classic Chenin Blanc notes of baked apple, citrus and honey. It is dry in style with a full and rich palate, enhanced by long term ageing on yeast lees. It is delicious as a young wine but will gain complexity with time in the bottle and will make the perfect accompaniment to seafood dishes.

The Chenin Blanc plantings are located on the lower of the two gravel river terraces formed by the Ngaruroro River. Two clones of Chenin Blanc (220 and 880) are planted, with each providing its own distinctive characteristics to the finished wine. Planted in 2017, these vines are intensively managed in the pursuit of quality wine.

Low yields and a cool, dry 2020 season allowed us to harvest fruit in excellent condition

The fruit was picked at 22 brix pre lockdown on the 23rd March 2020

It was pressed lightly, settled overnight and run to a mix of large format oak barrels and small tanks for fermentation with wild yeast. The tank fermented portion was stopped with a small amount of residual sugar to provide richness to the final blend. The wine was aged on its lees with regular stirring until being blended in February 2021.