The 2004 season was a kind one for the Gisborne region. Hot summers days followed by lovely cool nights brought together all the right elements for a superb vintage. We hand-picked our grapes on 18th April 2004 at 23.8 brix, T/A 8.3 and pH 3.4.
2004 TIRITIRI RESERVE CHARDONNAY (55 cases)
GOLD - 2006 Bragato Wine Awards
SILVER AND BEST IN CLASS - 2006 International Wine and Spirits Competition (LONDON)
SILVER - 2005 and 2006 International Chardonnay Challenge
REVIEWS:
Peter Saunders - "The richer variation on the Tiritiri Estate Chardonnay. Another potent fruit statement with the richness adding quite a big dimension to a serious Chardonnay, almost golden, chunky and mouth-filling. Nicely ready but no hurry"
Sue Courtney: "Appealing right from the outset. Light gold in colour with nutty, stonefruit and buttered oak aromas paving the way to a creamy textured palate with sweet ripe fruit - like butter-grilled peaches and nectarines, toasty oak, a touch of citrus to balance the sweetness and a long, creamy, nutty finish with a long, mealy-influenced aftertaste. Very smart indeed without being over the top"
Michael Cooper: "French oak-fermented and lees-aged for 10 months, the 2004 vintage(XXXX) is lemon-hued, with a fragrant, complex bouquet. The palate shows lovely richness, with ripe, vibrant, peachy, toasty flavours, crisp and lively, and great personality"
2004 TIRITIRI ESTATE CHARDONNAY (40 cases)
SILVER - 2005 International Chardonnay Challenge
BRONZE - 2006 Bragato Wine Awards
REVIEWS:
Peter Saunders: "Probably New Zealand's smallest winemaker. A fairly solid Chardonnay, no flimsy wine here, some oak-lees characters and some quite potent fruit, not as rich as the Reserve label but still with a lot to say. Ready, no hurry into 2007"
Sue Courtney: "Yellow gold in colour, this is a rich, full-bodied, buttery, creamy wine with savoury oak and a mealy backbone supporting the concentrated apricot and citrus fruit. There's lots of barrel-ferment influence that adds a rich wheatiness to the finish, which is long and powerful"
Michael Cooper: "From New Zealand's smallest vineyard, the 2004 vintage (XXXx) was grown in Gisborne, hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, and fermented and lees-aged for 10 months in French oak barriques. Pale straw, it is fleshy, ripe, peachy and slightly toasty and honeyed, with lots of character"
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