Vidal Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay

Description

Vidal Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay made from grapes grown in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay.

Vidal Estate was established in 1905 by Anthony Joseph Vidal, a young Spanish immigrant who had arrived in New Zealand in 1888. He spent the years before he founded Vidal working for his uncle Joseph Soler, one of the pioneers of the New Zealand wine industry. The estate is located in Hastings in the Hawke’s Bay region of the North Island and it is here where his first vines were planted. It is here no the original site that the company’s modern, state of the art winery is situated. Vidal source their grapes mainly from Hawke’s Bay, including some the world-famous Gimblett Gravels.

The fruit for the Vidal Chardonnay is sourced from vineyards in the cooler valleys of Dartmoor and Ohiti along with the warmer, free draining Bridge Pa and neighbouring gravel based soils of Omahu. In the vineyard, particular attention was given to “opening up” vine canopies, yield restriction and selective harvesting. After harvest the grapes are crushed and gently pressed. The juice is allowed to naturally settle before being racked with light lees to seasoned French barrique (20%) and tank for fermentation. The small portion aged in seasoned oak has added subtle flavour, aroma and texture while the remaining portion has provided fruit purity and clarity to the final wine. Both ferment portions were aged and stirred on lees, adding further complexity and enhancing the mouthfeel of the wine.

The head winemaker is Hugh Crichton who has worked at Vidal since 2004 and as winemaker since 2006. Vidal Estate is dedicated to environmentally friendly winemaking and sustainable winegrowing practices.