Following harvest from these specially selected sites, grapes were sorted, pressed, and fermentation was completed with a “sauvage” yeast, a natural yeast that that has been isolated. With freshness and complexity regarded as characters best for expressing terroir through Chardonnay, Tim says the wine is a result of two vastly different maturation components. “For depth of flavour and complexity, Chardonnay requires time in barrel,” he says. “A combination of 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill French oak barrels was used for aging 60% of the Chardonnay for 11 months. The use of wood allows the wine to form structure and palate weight, elements required to magnify the delicate fruit, floral and nutty characters for which the variety is known.”

The unwooded 40% element was kept in stainless steel tanks on its lees, for the same 11 months, before being blended with the barrel-aged component. “The unwooded element brings added energy and brightness to the wine, creating a Chardonnay that we see as a precise reflection of terroir offering the myriad of elements and features which mark Chardonnay as a great wine grape,” says Tim. “The Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Réserve shows zesty citrus notes complemented by an austere minerality with persistence on the palate, depth and a lasting finish.”