Chardonnay is still one of the most popular white varieties in the world. It may have to do with how versatile it can be; you can have unoaked, lightly oaked and full-on, no-holds barred woody Chardonnay. We believe that if you are going to oak-age any wine it should be done judiciously so the fruit notes can still come through and this is a terrific example of that approach. This Chardonnay was barrel fermented with extended lees contact and aged for about nine months in the same French oak barrels. It has a creamy, buttery texture with melon and pear flavours. The wine is quite rich and can develop in the bottle for a few years.