Estate Chardonnay 2023
Marlborough, Nautilus Estate, 750 ml
Description
Complex food companion from the South of New Zealand! This single-varietal Chardonnay impressively showcases its uniqueness and reflects the climatic conditions of the extraordinary landscape of the South Pacific. Nautilus Chardonnay has the potential to be regarded as one of the finest Chardonnays of the past two decades. An expressive bouquet of ripe yellow fruits, buttery brioche and toasted hazelnuts, complemented by a hint of flint, rises from the glass. On the palate, stone fruit flavours and a nutty complexity emerge, resulting from natural fermentation. A mineral-driven and persistent finish adds further depth and elegance to this wine. For optimal enjoyment, we recommend giving the wine some air for about 30 minutes before tasting, allowing its complex aromas and remarkable character to fully unfold. Pairs beautifully with white meats served with cream-based sauces, creamy risotto, and flavourful vegetable dishes featuring cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Savoy cabbage or other seasonal winter vegetables.
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Chardonnay |
| Producer: | Nautilus Estate |
| Origin: | New Zealand / Marlborough |
| Label: | Vegan |
| Ripening potential: | 2 to 6 years |
| Drinking temperature: | 10 to 12 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Grilled fish, Fresh water fish with cream sauce, Cheese board, Succulent chicken breast with cream sauc, Salad with vegetables, pulses, pasta |
| Maturation: | partly in barrique/ Pièces |
| Volume: | 13.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Nautilus Estate
In the stunningly beautiful wine-growing region of Marlborough, located in the north-easternmost corner of New Zealand's South Island, the Nautilus Estate of Marlborough, founded in 1985, produces expressive, structured and precise wines inspired by the mathematically perfect spiral of the nautilus shell (sea snail).
When the winery was founded, there were around 80 wineries in New Zealand, today there are over 700, and yet the family-run winery has remained small and manageable – the owner Robert Hill Smith is a fifth-generation winemaker. This family ownership means that the winery benefits from generations of experience with the ups and downs of viticulture.
Nautilus' recipe for success is carefully selected vineyards in various regions in Marlborough, such as the well-known Wairau Valley or the neighbouring Awatere Valley, which offer optimal conditions for the cultivation of grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The climate is characterised by warm summers – Marlborough has one of the highest hours of sunshine in New Zealand with an average of over 2,400 hours of sunshine per year – cool nights and a moderate maritime influence thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. This leads to a slow ripening of the grapes and optimal development of the flavours. The soils are characterised by a combination of clay and pebbles, which provide excellent drainage and influence the character of the wines. These unique conditions and sustainable cultivation contribute to the remarkable freshness, intensity and complexity of the Nautilus wines.
Winemaker and cellar master Clive Jones and the whole team at Nautilus Estate in Marlborough know what is important when it comes to wine quality and have remained true to the mantra of never wanting to be the biggest, but always striving for the best and with great success. Nautilus now enjoys a reputation as one of the best wineries in New Zealand!
Chardonnay
King or beggar?
Hardly any variety of vine shows such a broad spectrum of quality as the Chardonnay. Its wines range from faceless neutrality to breath-taking class. It is an extremely low-maintenance vine, which explains why it is grown around the world – even in places where it probably should not be. The aromas of the Chardonnay variety are not very pronounced: a bit of green apple, a little hazelnut; in warmer latitudes, also melon and exotic fruits. The wines are often defined by maturing in casks. They develop more or less subtle notes of butter, toasted bread and vanilla. The grapes achieve their highest expression in their region of origin, Burgundy. Its heart beats in the Côte de Beaune: one might think of the plant growth of Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. With their finesse and complexity, they can survive for decades. Chardonnay also achieves first class in some Blanc-de-Blancs champagnes. It additionally yields great wines in the Burgundian Chablis, and increasingly in Australia and Chile. A simple rule of thumb for pairing with food: When butter and cream are involved, you cannot go wrong with Chardonnay.
Marlborough
Marlborough - synonymous with world-famous Sauvignon Blancs! New Zealand's largest wine-growing region (over 20,000 hectares) is located in the very north of the South Island, in the centre of New Zealand.
The town of Blenheim forms the heart of the region. Marlborough enjoys an international reputation as a producer of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world, which is also New Zealand's leading variety. Excellent Chardonnays, Rieslings and premium Pinot Noirs are also grown here.
New Zealand
Kia Ora - Welcome to New Zealand!
In the southwestern Pacific Ocean, between Australia and New Caledonia, lies New Zealand, a stunningly beautiful country consisting of two main islands. This island state was first discovered at the end of the 13th century. Aotearoa, or the Land of the Long White Cloud: is what the indigenous people, the Maori, named it. The nation covers a length of some 1,500 km and lies between 34° and 47° southern latitude (compared to our location, this corresponds to Tunis and Paris) and is therefore the world’s southernmost winegrowing country. Its «immediate» neighbours are relatively distant: Australia to the west, Antarctica to the south, with New Caledonia, Tonga and Fiji to the north.
