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2020 Chardonnay, Isabel Estate Wine Republic

2020 Chardonnay, Isabel Estate

Marlborough, New Zealand

This is Marlborough Chardonnay with polish, poise and a lovely smoky edge. It opens with white peach, ripe apple, lemon, grapefruit and ginger, followed by cashew, baking spice, crushed shell and a subtle struck-match note. There is richness, but it is carried by brightness rather than weight.

The palate is refined and well-shaped, with citrus and stone fruit running through a creamy, lightly nutty texture. Crisp acidity keeps the wine fresh, while gentle oak and lees character bring depth, spice and a savoury finish. It feels mature enough to have settled into itself, but still bright, detailed and very much alive.

For when you want Chardonnay with creaminess, citrus drive and a little flinty sophistication.
Pairs with roast chicken, scallops, crab linguine, pork belly, mushroom risotto, grilled prawns, or Comté.
If this wine were… a texture, it would be cool stone wrapped in silk.

Isabel Estate is one of Marlborough’s original wineries, based just outside Renwick in the Wairau Valley. The estate describes its site as a unique, frost-free pocket of land first spotted from the air by founder Mike Tiller, and today it is known for wines that combine Marlborough purity with real texture and depth. Chardonnay is a particular strength: the 2020 Isabel Estate Marlborough Chardonnay won a Gold Medal at the 2021 Marlborough Wine Show and went on to be named Champion Chardonnay at the National Wine Awards of Aotearoa New Zealand 2022. The estate is also BioGro and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certified.

Whats in the bottle
100% Chardonnay

Notable Awards
WineFolio, 93 points

£22.95 - £22.95
£22.95
£22.95 - £22.95
£22.95
Availability:
In stock

Isabel Estate is one of the original Marlborough vineyards with some of the oldest vines in the region on original rootstock. In1980, and with a bird’s eye view, pilot Mike Tiller discovered a precious pocket of land, and the beginning of one of the pioneering Marlborough wineries was born. Mike and his wife Robyn built a winery on the site and named it in honour of Mike’s mother, Isabel. Throughout the 1980s the couple planted key noble varietals and began to deliver fruit of exceptional quality, in high demand from premium and internationally renowned wine producers. In 2001 Mike’s mother, Isabel, coerced him into abandoning his flying career to focus on the estate.

Their ambition was to produce ultra-premium classic grape varieties that were a true expression of Marlborough as the chosen parcel of land delivered fruit of exceptional quality. The chosen parcel of land delivered fruit of exceptional quality, and it wasn’t long before it was in high demand from premium and internationally renowned New Zealand wine producers. In the natural order of things Isabel Estate released its single-vineyard wine in 1994, the Isabel Estate Pinot. Under the leadership of Chief Winemaker Jeremy McKenize, the winery continues to build its reputation for award winning Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir but is also producing world class Chardonnay. Testament to this, Isabel Estate has won multiple trophies in recent years with notable highlights being Champion Chardonnay and Best Marlborough Wine, NZ Wine of the Year Competition 2019 for the 2018 Wild Barrique Chardonnay as well as Champion Pinot Noir 2017, Marlborough Wine Show 2018 for the 2017 Isabel Estate Pinot Noir.

Picking commenced and was completed in the last two weeks of March, taking advantage of intermittent dry spells in the weather to ensure the fruit was picked with good fruit concentration and ripeness. In some blocks multiple picks were carried out, picking some fruit earlier to capture freshness and acidity, and the remaining fruit later to capture some of the riper fruit notes Chardonnay is known for. All fruit was whole bunch pressed and settled in tank overnight before being transferred to barrel for fermentation. Predominately wild fermented with a small portion inoculated to enhance fruit notes. Extended time of lees in barrel allows the wine to soften and increase in complexity over time.

Country
New Zealand

Region
Marlborough

Producer
Isabel Estate

Grape
Chardonnay

Size
750ml

Types
White Wine

Vintage
2020