m.a.u wines
The Basket Case Chardonnay 2021 750ml

Layered and intriguing nose of lemon, lychee, and bergamot in cahoots with a delicate briny note, baking spices and brioche. The palate is lithe and delicious, bursting with citrus and spicy oak. Ten months un-sulphured, on lees, has encouraged short bread and uncooked cookie dough flavours. Barrel spice and a background of ferment derived reduction enhances all the above. The wine is concentrated with a tension driving citrus acidity. Cellar through to late 2020’s.

Late spring frosts in Marlborough, followed by challenging weather throughout flowering resulted in moderate crops throughout the region. A warm and stable end to the growing season ensured the moderate volume of fruit was able to ripen uniformly and through to ideal physiological ripeness. The fruit was harvested by hand on March 17  and transported to Auckland overnight on a refrigerated truck. It was whole bunch pressed to new and old French oak for wild fermentation before 14 months in barrel prior to bottling.