2012 Dexter Chardonnay
Analysis at Harvest
Sugar 21 to 21.8 Brix
pH 3.19 to 3.30
Acid 5.6 to 7.8 TA
Harvest date First week of March – back to “normal”.
Clones P58 (44%), I10V5 (34%), Bernard 95 (11%), Bernard 277 (11%)
Vintage Notes
This was one of the best seasons we have seen, as good as 2010 and maybe even better. No extremes in weather and a good steady ripening period meant harvest occurred during the first week of March, which is our long term norm.
Winemaking
Hand-picked fruit was gently whole-bunch pressed into a tank and settled overnight. It was then transferred into French oak barriques (20% New, 80% second, third and fourth use) and inoculated with a neutral yeast. From May until late winter the barrels were stirred every two weeks until MLF was completed.
For this vintage 25% was prevented from going through MLF to retain acid. The wine was left on yeast lees until December when it was transferred to tank for a further month on lees. The wine was bottled in January 2013, 10 months after harvest.
Wine Analysis
Alcohol 13.1%
pH 3.09
Acid 6.5g/l
Sugar 0.64 g/l
Nose
Aromas of lemon, white peach, nectarine and floral notes combined with subtle oak.
Palate
Similar to previous vintages in its elegance and fineness after a near perfect 2012 vintage. Subtle flavours reflective of the aromas – particularly lemon, nectarine, white peach and elegant oak. The wine has a soft middle palate with good length and a nice acid balance. Similar in structure to the 2010 vintage but perhaps more linear.