Nugan Estate SV Drover’s Hut Chardonnay 2012
90 pts Stephen Tanzer’s IWC
Light yellow. Ripe nectarine, melon and tangerine on the fragrant nose and in the mouth. In a lush, open-knit style, with a jolt of bracing acidity adding lift and focus. Picks up a stony, almost Chablis-like hint of minerality on the finish, which lingers with very good tenacity and focus.
Darren Owers, our winemaker, does not enjoy big buttery, oaky chards. So we pick our fruit at night to preserve the crisp and bright aromatics and flavors which are present when the fruit is cooler. After the destemming process, we press and ferment the fruit in stainless steel tanks. After the initial alcoholic fermentation we leave the skins in the contact with juice for 6-8 weeks, stirring every day to build the middle palate texture of the wine. There is no malolactic fermentation with this wine so you can be sure it’s crisp and fresh. Wood treatment is minimal and it’s all 2nd and 3rd use barrels. The critics and our customers have responded well to this approach and we intend to keep it that way. Our mates reckon it’s a real summer “porch pounder’!
