Pale gold colour with lovely peachy tropical fruit aromatics. Fermented and aged in French oak for 8 months, the palate is rich and peachy with overtones of nuts. Good length and texture.This wine is made from our Collards Rothesay selection of the Mendoza clone.

The wine was aged in barrel on lees for 12 months – a French oak combination specific for this wine. After bottling the wine has been held for a further 12 months. The 2006 follows in the style of the previous OV Chardonnays – very rich texture from low cropping old vines. The colour ismedium gold and the wine has complex aromatics of hazelnut and toast. The palate has rich flavours of peach, melon and some bready notes and finishes with a citrus note. The wine has great length and continues to deliver flavours long after it has been devoured (as good wines should).

Hand harvested bunch pressed fully ripened Mendoza chardonnay. Aromatics of hazelnuts and bread followed with a nicely weighted rich palate with flavours of peach, nuts and a fine citrus finish. Barrel fermented and aged for 8 months in French oak.

Bottled about a month ago after 12 months in French oak. Light gold colour with aromatics of bread, toast and nuts. The palate has hints of white peach and hazelnuts, with great balance and texture and a seamless finish. The wine has a long mineral/citrus tone which finally passes into a fine spicey acidity. Very Burgundian in style and slightly more restrained than the ’04. Will go the distance. Get your own crayfish and try it out. Top recommendation; crayfish (freshly cooked and warm), pate, avocado, on baguettes, washed down with OV Chardonnay ‘05. Cancel the rest of the day. We do.
KS Fantastic wine, classy, satin textured and deep with dense, close grained flavour. Very special.8/10
S Kim 5* Wine Orbit #2

Just bottled and slightly shy, but great fruit, lovely delicacy and balance. The wine is restrained but should age very well. Made in the usual style – Mendoza clone, bunch pressed , barrel ferment etc. This clonal selection of the Mendoza originates from the Rothesay vineyard – for those who remember the Collards Rothesay chardonnays of earlier times. The best performing Mendoza material was selected and bulked up to form the Rothesay selection. Until now the fruit from this Mendoza selection has been fermented with our original Mendoza fruit.

Again, like the OV Gewurz, made only from the original plantings (1983), and entirely from the low yielding high quality Mendoza clone. The fruit was bunch pressed and barrel fermented in French oak, with a small contribution of MLF. This wine was aged fully 12 months in barrel, and has now had some 8 months bottle age. This is our first OV Chardonnay. I believe 04 will rate as an extremely good vintage for Chardonnay.
Light to medium gold colour with aromatics of nuts, bread and citrus. The palate has great density, flavour and length. Strong butterscotch and some grapefruit notes with a long nutty, toasty fine finish. Should age extremely well.
Goes really well with fresh cooked warm crayfish. Crayfish not provided. I can send you the wine, but you have to supply your own crayfish.

Bright medium gold colour with aromas of peaches and fresh bread. The palate is medium weight with a nutty texture and creamy mid palate giving way to a fine, lingering citrus fruit finish. 50% MLF, and almost burgundian like in style. This wine should age extremely well. Well, our Chardonnays seem to anyway – but this one should develop particular elegance. Hand picked Mendoza clone, bunch pressed and total barrel ferment, (French oak)- as usual. Cropped at approx 0.5 t/a – not as usual, 20 yr vines.

Excellent fruit - moderate crops (2.5 t/a) with full ripeness has produced a wine with great depth of texture and flavour. Total barrel ferment in 50% new French oak and aged on lees for 9 months. Bright light/medium gold with complex fragrant aromas of bread/citrus fruit or figs. The palate is rich with flavours that go on long after the wine has disappeared from view. Butterscotch, intense ripe sweet fruit, citrus spine, and a long soft lingering spice with hints of cinnamon.

Very opulent, nutty, tropical fruit aromatics with a light-medium gold colour. The palate structure is very big with great mid palate concentration and a rich array of flavours, from tropical fruit to a lingering fine citrus/spicy finish. This wine is the product of natural ferment, extended barrel aging, and an abnormally low crop.

As with previous releases, this wine is a blend of a variety of components consisting of various yeasts ( native and innoculated), partial MLF and a blend of various oak types. The 2000 vintage delivered some excellent Chardonnay fruit and it is apparent in this finished wine. Opulent honeyed, nutty aromatics, with big palate weight and a long fine lingering, almost spicy finish. A complex wine with many dimensions and attractive now, but will definitely benefit from cellaring.

Again in very similar style to the previous few vintages with the added intensity of a smaller 1999 vintage. Full palate with a long, fine, lingering, well structured finish and strong mid palate. This wine has only just been bottled at the time of release, allowing maximum barrel aging. As per usual, all barrel fermented Mendoza fruit with complete aging on lees. Restrained style with opulent fruit, which will age for a long period.

This wine has some stylistic variation from previous, continuing on the development theme of this wine. A further step towards elegance and complexity, but with huge fruit, lingering flavours and balance, but set to age for a long time. In spite of being such a hot, dry summer, this vintage seems to have provided some superb Chardonnay fruit.