Palliser Estate Chardonnay, Martinborough

Description

Palliser Estate Chardonnay is made from 100% estate-sourced Chardonnay fruit from the Martinborough wine-growing region at the very south of New Zealand’s North Island.

Founded in the mid-1980s, Palliser Estate has become one of the leading producers in the Martinborough wine region, known for its focus on quality and sustainability. The first grapes at Palliser Estate were planted in 1984, with the first commercial wines released in 1989 and the first exports following in 1991. Today, the estate covers approximately 92 hectares (around 228 acres) of vineyards, primarily planted with Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, alongside some Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. The vineyards are located on the “Martinborough Terrace,” a small yet unique area of land at the southern end of the North Island. This terrace, framed by the Ruamahanga and Huangarua Rivers, was shaped centuries ago by the rivers. The soil is a stony silt loam overlaying varying depths of ancient, free-draining river gravels. There are seven vineyards in total, all within walking distance of each other: Clouston, Collins, Palliser, Om Sancti, Wharekauhau, East Base, and the Winery Vineyards.

Palliser Estate places great importance on good vineyard practices, more so than many others. They train their vines to achieve low canopy density and well-exposed fruit. This, combined with careful leaf plucking, produces the distinctive fruit flavours in their wines. The grapes are harvested at their optimum maturity and processed to preserve the inherent fruitiness of each varietal. Palliser Estate is deeply committed to sustainability and was the first winery in the world to be awarded ISO 14001-2004 Certification, signifying its adherence to a sustainable environmental management system.

The grapes for the Palliser Estate Chardonnay are 78% from the Palliser Vineyard, with the remainder from Palliser’s organic vineyard Om Santi, a mixture of 51% Clone 548, 28% Clone 95 and 21% Clone 15. Handpicked, whole bunch pressed and fermented in French oak by wild yeasts from the vineyard. After fermentation, regular lees stirring over 10 months in barrel adds complexity and texture before racking clear and bottling in March 2021.

Palliser Estate Chardonnay is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.