Corofin Brawn Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Accolades:
94/100 – Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak (2020 vintage)

Tasting Note: Striking fruit intensity moderated by a crisp and delicious coastal salinity. Early days for us with this site but feels like an accurate reflection of place. Made for oysters. A mere 3km from the ocean, Brawn Vineyard lies south east of the Wairau Valley floor, with fertile Kaiapoi silt loam soils deposited by flooding, over centuries, of the neighbouring Ōpaoa River. Organic farming encompasses native boundary plantings supporting the life force of the property. Complete fruit intensity is moderated with a coastal salinity, lending accuracy and amplification of site. An exciting addition to the Corofin grower portfolio.

Winemaking Notes: Hand-harvested on 6th April 2023. Whole bunches were loaded and pressed slowly over 6 hours to a small stainless steel tank. No enzyme or sulphur additions were made during or post pressing, with a smaller, harder press fraction separated on taste and discarded. After 6 hours settling, the main press fraction was transferred with a high percentage of solids to three 500 litre seasoned French oak puncheons and one 300 litre stainless steel barrel, for fermentation. Primary fermentation took five days to naturally initiate and 12 weeks to complete. A full and natural malolactic fermentation finished early January 2024, after which the young wine was topped and remained on original lees in barrel, without stirring or sulphur, until April 2024. The components were then racked together to tank and sulphured where they remained on lees for a further 9 months until bottling in February 2025. This wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

Certification: Organic

Alcohol: 12.5%

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand