Verve Chardonnay, 2016

The name Verve encapsulates this Chardonnay’s style, with distinctive grapefruit and other citrus aromas. Despite the wine’s cool climate freshness, the palate almost gives you the illusion of richness due to the intensity of the fruit flavours. 

Meet the maker: Ocean Eight

Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria - Australia

Grape(s): Chardonnay (100%)

12.5% ABV / 750ml / Vegetarian / Vegan

Viticulture: 

The grapes come from a 2.5-hectare block of Chardonnay in an established vineyard of 20-year-old vines.

Situated at an elevation of 65 metres with a north western orientation, the vineyard has a great airflow, which minimises disease pressure as the canopy dries quickly.

The soil is sandy loam which provides excellent drainage, essential nutrients for vine health and imparts a minerality to the flavour profile.

Winemaking:

The fruit was picked to highlight the citrus spectrum, in particular grapefruit.

Whole bunches were chilled overnight prior to vinification.

The grapes were whole bunched pressed and transferred by gravity to old French barriques at temperatures of 25-32°C.

Spontaneous fermentation took place with indigenous vineyard yeasts. 

The wine spent 12 months in oak with full lees contact, imparting texture and complexity.

The wine was gently fined and filtered prior to bottling.