Tasting Notes | A balanced structure that develops into a rich mid-palate creaminess full of notes of freshly baked buttered bread and marmalade with a smooth minerality on the finish.
Inspiration | Our inspiration, of course, comes from Chablis and Macon chardonnays and to a lesser extent, the Muscadet de Sevre-et-Main Sur Lie wines from the Pays Nantais region in France. The bready, buttery flavours of those wines combined with their austere structure are something that is much loved by Amanda and Jamie as winemakers and as wine enthusiasts as well.
Vineyard | The 2016 Sur Lie was made using Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from Marionette vineyards.
Winemaker's Note | The 2016 Sur Lie is modelled after a Burgundy Chardonnay. It is rested on the heavy lees in neutral tanks and stirred weekly for a year after fermentation. We call it Sur Lie and not Chardonnay because we are focussing attention intentionally on the Sur Lie method rather than the varietals used because names like Chardonnay have so much baggage and can be ambiguous in terms of what to expect. The Sur Lie name defines this wine and gives the consumer the style and concept without tripping alarm wires or engaging in the minefield of expectations one encounters with the varietal Chardonnay.