Groves - "Filly" Chardonnay 2023

NZD$45.00

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The relationship of human to wine and horses is one of natural connection.

As with horses and riding the making of wine requires patience, understanding sometimes the ability to be demanding then gentle, caring and attentive to little details. Both things are an expression of human in unison with the natural world, reliant on and elevated as an experience by the senses.

Chardonnay, sometimes the workhorse, sometimes the well groomed show pony, sometimes the galloping thoroughbred and occasionally a tricky creature to handle. Always responsive to attention, patience and a gentle hand to be trained to your taste and style.

Filly Chardonnay, born from a love for nature, sharing good experiences and a sense freedom to be creative. From our stable to your table.

Fermented wild in fine French Oak barrels with little intervention. Harnessing the intensity, flavour and finesse of Wairarapa Chardonnay.

A blend of Chardonnay clones including the highly acclaimed Mendoza variant. A single vineyard grown wine from old vines on the alluvial river terraces soils that track the course of the Ruamahunga River.

Oak: 65 % New French oak (500 and 228 L). 35% 3^rd fill puncheon.

Oak composition: 80% in 500 litre puncheon and 20% in 228 litre barrique format.

100% free of animal products. Vegan and vegetarian suitable.

Bottled 7 December 2022, with 1384 bottles produced.

Alcohol – 13%

Filly Chardonnay, born from a love for nature, sharing good experiences and a sense freedom to be creative brings the feeling of the stable to your table.

SIMON SAYS…

I studied, trained and worked in environments where the technical approach was the route to the best results. Over 25 years I've worked for and with some truly outstanding winemaking brains, many of whom started tossing out some of the contents of the winemaking tool kit and becoming more of the new age father to their wines. The fun and the magic in wine in this "new age" is watching what unfolds before you. Not losing yourself in every step it took to get there and nudging it in the "right" direction constantly.

FUTURE.

Beyond my role as a winemaker, I am a consultant for advanced technology projects in Australasia. Enologica Vason is an innovative Italian company REVOLUTIONISING the wine industry through research and development of equipment and products for large scale wine production. The primary aim of these gives the winemaker the tools to make wines in a more sustainable way.

Simon’s expertise is utilised also on contract to other visionary companies in the process of developing technical tools to advance winemakers knowledge of the natural CHEMISTRY of the wine grape.

LIFE.

Currently, Simon is primarily winemaker for Te Muna Valley wines. Alongside this Simon explores his creativity, and pushes his ‘hands off’ winemaking with small volume projects such as GROVES.

With all this technical knowledge and vast experience, Simon lives with his family on a four-hectare piece of land on the outskirts of Martinborough. His wife Amanda and three children live a charming life planting grapevines, growing food and tending ponies. Watch this space for Amanda’s Filly project coming soon!

HISTORY.

Simon's experience in the wine industry is vast and varied. From an introduction through retail, a vine nursery in Auckland, cellar work at Delegats followed by formal Wine Science training through Charles Sturt University.

His professional winemaking career started at Church Road in the Hawkes Bay, mentored by Tony Prichard, which then moved on to Montana Wines in Gisborne. Simon gained a reputation for his Bordeaux style reds and was held responsible for Saints Merlot Cabernet.

Following Montana Wines, Simon met Amanda and they set off overseas to Italy for a winemaking role at Farnese Vini. It was there that Simon achieved the success of seeing the wine he made Decanter Magazines top Italian white wine of 2007.