Grape variety: Chardonnay
Vineyard location: At the northernmost end of the vine growing area
Colour: White.
Soil: Fully south facing limestone clay, giving the wine finesse and elegance.
Tending: Guyot, with a single cane that is bent over in a half circle. The soil is removed from around the individual vines and levelled out between the rows in autumn, shallow-ploughed in winter and top scraped in spring.
Vinification : After manual picking and careful sorting, the whole bunches of grapes are pressed. The must is then transferred to new barrels for alcoholic fermentation and for malic acid to be transformed naturally to lactic acid. The fine lees are regularly stirred upt.
Maturing: 10 months in oak barrels, allowing the wine to clear naturally. Light fining before bottling.
Characteristics: Very light, shiny golden yellow, almost crystalline robe. The very rigorous sorting at picking shows through in the finesse and cleanliness of this lovely Chardonnay.
Cellaring: This wine may be enjoyed in its youth, but is also suited to cellaring for 2 to 4 years.
Serve at 11°C (52°F).
Food and wine matches: Fish in sauce, mixed salads, Dublin bay prawns with leeks, bass fillets in orange butter sauce, salmon steaks with oysters.
