Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Founded by Tim and Judy Finn (now retired) in 1978 who were pioneers of the Nelson wine industry and Tim Finn was a founding member of Sustainable Winegrowing NZ. Their daughter Rosie Finn carries on the family tradition in the role of Sales & Marketing/Director together with winemaker/GM Todd Stevens and viticulturalist Stef Brockley. The focus is on sustainability with the winery run on solar power aided by the fact that Nelson has some of the longest sunshine hours in New Zealand. All estate owned blocks are organically certified and the old vines are dry farmed. All wines are bottled in lightweight glass.

THE VINTAGE:
A dry start to the season followed by a wetter than normal November. A welcome change to early summer and autumn with drier and warmer months (December-April). Minor rain events ensured canopies stayed “refreshed” before a trouble-free harvest period. A generous season producing wines of volume and precision.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
This wine comes from grower sites close to the estate’s Home Vineyard on sun drenched, north facing slopes which are not ploughed. Vines are 2 cane pruned to restrict yields and the Chardonnay grapes are a mix of hand picked and whole bunch harvested fruit. ‘Tiritiri’ means to grow, cultivate or share in Reo Maori.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
No or minimal settling of the must and fermentation using partial wild yeast with a high proportion of solids in French oak barrels, 10% new. The wine was matured for 10 months in barrel on full lees with monthly battonage until the start of malolactic fermentation which occurred in the Spring, allowing only part of the wine to undergo malolactic.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
This delicious Chardonnay walks a tightrope of fruit, minerality, oak and acidity. Summer stone fruits are woven together with rockpool minerality combined with a layered texture from lees contact and delicate integration of oak. There is beautiful shape to this wine, voluminous without being overblown and tapering to a refreshing and modern finish.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Chardonnay 100%.