Nanny Goat Single Vineyards Queensberry Chardonnay 2022

Product Information:

Fruit was sourced exclusively from their vineyard in Queensberry from Block 13 clone 15. This single vineyard Chardonnay is unashamedly rich and and satisfying. Beginning with aromas of orange zest, poached nectarine, hazelnut, sweet baking spice and an intriguing note of wet river stone. A a generous mouth filling palate with vibrant core of nectarine, pear crumble and toasty oak before a fine bead of acidity draws the palate out to a long textural finish.

Hand picked and whole bunch pressed to stainless steel tank for a brief period of settling before being gently mixed and transferred to 500 Litre French oak Puncheon (20% new) with high solids and left to ferment naturally with occasional lees stirring to enhance palate weight and texture. The wine underwent full Malolactic fermentation in barrel during its 10 months of maturation, softening the palate yet retaining a fine vein of acidity and giving a wonderful balance to the palate. 

Maker:

In late 2004, owner John Valmorbida, went on a spontaneous trek up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown. In awe of the wild goats that traverse Central Otago's rugged mountains, John named the vineyard Nanny Goat. This name embodies Nanny Goat's connection to the land and the spirit of exploration that drives our winemaking journey. ‘Nanny Goat Vineyard’ perfectly encapsulates their determination to succeed, adapt and thrive in the rugged and often extreme climates of Central Otago; much like the nimble and sure-footed wild goats of the region have done long before their arrival.

From their inaugural release of Pinot Noir in 2005, Nanny Goat Vineyard has strived to produce wines with elegance, concentration and balance whilst allowing each individual parcel of fruit to tell its unique story.

Nanny Goat Estate Vineyard sits between 270m and 290m above sea level spread across two ancient, North East facing terraces. This region experiences climatic extremes with scorching hot summers, fleeting autumns, and brutally cold winters. Indeed, these are challenging conditions for producing world-class cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Successive periods of glaciation and recession, followed by erosion by Mata Au / Clutha River have shaped the Nanny Goat Estate landscape by creating distinct terraces of alluvial soils that are a mosaic of loess, gravel, schist and mineral quartz. Generations of farming and the associated cultivation of lucerne (pasture legume) and other feed crops have added organic matter to the wind blown loess topsoil providing us with a nice balance between vine vigour and free draining attributes. 

Central Otago unique terroir produces wines of extraordinary intensity and distinction that show varietal and regional definition. The soils are free draining, with poor natural fertility. These challenging conditions for producing world-class cool climate wines are integral in our pursuit of magic.

Philosophy:

Positioned in Central Otago at a latitude of 45° South, this is the most southerly wine region in the world. Vineyards are planted between 200m and 400m above sea level. Each vintage, the Nanny Goat team work with grower partners at Vela Vineyard, Legend Terrace Vineyard & Tankersley Vineyard to source Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Pisa, Gibbston, Bannockburn & Queensberry. Central Otago is the only area in New Zealand that has a semi-continental climate and experiences greater diurnal shifts in temperature and more seasonal extremes than any other wine-growing region in New Zealand. The diurnal shift in temperature can involve daytime temperatures in excess of 30° and nights with temperatures dropping as low as 0°. This wide swing in temperature aids the development of flavour complexity in the fruit while retaining natural acidity. Central Otago produces wines of extraordinary intensity and distinction that show varietal and regional definition. The soils are free draining, with poor natural fertility. These are the challenging conditions required to producing world-class cool climate wines in Nanny Goat's pursuit of magic.

Winemaker Alan Peters-Oswald, grew up in the small town of Roxburgh, not far from Central Otago's winegrowing sub-regions. This proximity instilled in Alan a love of the rugged beauty and boldly contrasting extremes of this unique terroir. Each vintage, Alan and the team work closely to produce wines that are expressive not only of Central Otago but also of vintage conditions. Handpicked and hand sorted, the utmost care is given to all fruit before spending time in open top stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Alan seeks to retain as many whole berries as possible and whole bunch components are crucial to creating detailed and textured wines. Nanny Goat's Pinot Noirs see between 11-13 months in 225 litre French oak barriques - between 35-40% new oak each year. Nanny Goat Chardonnay also spends 9 months in barrel; 500 litre French oak puncheons.

Nose - Orange Zest, Poached Nectarine, Sweet Baking Spice
Creamy-textured chardonnay with vanilla, citrus, peach and spicy oak flavours in a crowd-pleasing style

Palate - Rich, Nectarine, Pear Crumble
The palate is unashamedly rich and mouth filling up front, opening to a taut core of nectarine, pear crumble and toasty oak.

Finish - Fine Bead of Acid, Long, Textural
A fine bead of acidity draws the palate out to a long textural finish.

Creamy-textured chardonnay with vanilla, citrus, peach and spicy oak flavours in a crowd-pleasing style. A core of fruit and alcohol sweetness is nicely balanced by crisp acidity. - Bob Campbell, The Real Review, 92 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal -  Chardonnay
Country - New Zealand
Region - Central Otago 
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%