Sweetness: Dry

Grapes: Chardonnay

Grape info: Chardonnay’s particular sensitivity to terroir and production techniques make it arguably the most versatile white variety in the world, capable of myriad styles ranging from lean and crisp to rich and spicey.

About: A small, family-owned winery based in the stunningly beautiful Marlborough region of New Zealand. Nautilus began making wines in 1985 and aim to craft delicious, food-friendly wines from the clean, cool and diverse valleys of Marlborough.

Handpicked grapes were chilled overnight before gentle pressing direct to barrel without settling. The wine was entirely barrelled fermented in French oak barriques (20% new) using indigenous yeast. A short period of lees stirring post ferment adds a textural element to the palate.

Tasting note: A lifted nose of ripe nectarines, apricots, brioche, and toasted hazelnuts with a hint of flinty complexity. The palate displays stone fruits and honeysuckle along with a nutty complexity from the natural ferments. The palate has good depth and concentration with a refreshingly long finish. This wine has a tight mineral structure and will develop a creamy texture as it matures.

Character: Nectarine, hazelnut, honeysuckle.