Alexia ‘Happy Wife’ Chardonnay 2017

26-Jun-2018

‘Alexia’ is the wine brand of Jane Cooper, the highly respected and experienced winemaker, who has worked overseas and extensively in the Nelson region, but is best known for her recent role at Matahiwi in Masterton. ‘Alexia’ is a tribute to her maternal grandmother, and the brand was established in 2000. Over the years, she has made a number of wines from Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay fruit. Jane recently left Matahiwi so that she could develop the ‘Alexia’ brand further. Here, I review the ‘Happy Wife’ Chardonnay "made to keep her wife happy”. Other wines in the works include a Blanc de Blanc sparkling, a Pinot Noir and a Sauvignon Blanc. Jane’s wine style is one of freshness and they possess the ability to keep well. Jane reports she is enjoying "being back on the tools and touching all my wines”. The wines are made at the Loopline facility. www.alexia.co.nz

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Alexia ‘Happy Wife’ Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Hawke's Bay
Review Date : 25-Jun-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright straw-yellow colour, with lemon-green hues. The nose is softly fresh with good depth and intensity of white and yellow stonefruits, with nectarines and citrus fruit, forming a taut, refined heart. The aromatics unfold a little nutty oak, flinty lees and smoke, but retain a mouthwatering freshness. Medium-bodied, the palate has intense and tightly bound flavours of citrus fruit and white and yellow stonefruits, enlivened by brisk, lacy acidity. The flavours unveil a little nutty oak from its concentrated line. This has energy and vitality and the wine flows along a fine-textured line, leading to a thirst-quenching finish. This is a tightly bound and finely concentrated Chardonnay with stonefruit and citrus flavours on a crisp, mouthwatering palate. Serve with seafood over the next 4-5 years. Mendoza fruit from the Dartmoor region of Hawke’s Bay, fully barrel-fermented with full solids, approx. 80% by indigenous yeasts to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 11 months in 35% new oak, undergoing some batonnage and no MLF. 18.0/20 Jun 2018 RRP $30.00

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