Escarpment Chardonnay 2019
(Martinborough, New Zealand) - [WA 92] [VM 90]

Escarpment Chardonnay is grown on our Te Muna Road Vineyard with a small portion of grapes from growers in Martinborough.  The first Chardonnay planted on Te Muna Road was Clone 95 in 1999.  Every vintage, we aim to produce a wine that is complex, fruit-driven with a mineral backbone and dry finish. 

About the wine:                                                                                                          100% grown from Wairarapa fruit in what can be considered a warm season. It is an accurate reflection of the district’s unique terroir.  The summer allowed a normal crop load to ripen slowly, producing powerful opulent flavours and a flinty mineral backbone which combine beautifully with barrel fermentation, to create Burgundian inspired Chardonnay. Aged in 20% new oak for 11 months a delightful soft texture has developed resulting in a long commanding finish.  Completed malolactic fermentation and lees stirring has enhanced the texture, complexity and mouth feel allowing it to match most entrée dishes and seafood.  An accessible wine which can be enjoyed in its youth or. allow to age gracefully..

Ratings and Reviews

92 Points - Wine Advocate:                                                                                     

"Aged in 20% new oak, the barrel-fermented and aged 2019 Chardonnay reveals more mocha and nutty notes than the other whites from Escarpment, but it balances those with hints of white peach, melon and understated citrus.  Medium to full-bodied, it’s round and generous on the palate, plump without being heavy, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish." - Joe Czerwinski (June 2021)