Jean Bouteille 2025 Traverses Chardonnay

Notes from JB:
Forty-five year old vines on the original block of Brendon Cameron's certified organic Lansdowne Vineyard, planted on schist and clay in the elevated locality of Forreston. The site benefits from pronounced diurnal variation, cold nights and warm days, which slows ripening and preserves natural acidity. Fruit is from the I10V1 Chardonnay selection, hand-picked. Whole-bunch pressed and settled overnight, then racked off heavy lees before fermentation. The must begins in stainless steel and is racked into six year old French barrique about halfway through fermentation, completing élevage on fine lees for eleven months. A Chardonnay of texture and tension. Citrus pith, green almonds, white peach and white flowers, carried by a fine, driving acidity, with a slight smokiness drawn from the schist terroir.