Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc 2021

Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc 2021

NZD$45.00
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Description

Over the years our determination to produce one of the world’s best wines from this variety is a seasonal challenge and a bottled fantasy. In 2021 we did four selections from the vineyard of hand-harvested the grapes.

On the crush pad, the stems are discarded as these grapes give up their juice very easily during the long slow press cycle. The juice is collected together and allowed to settle for only a short time as we wish to keep the fine sediments, for it is here that all the nutrients lie which satisfy a well-behaved fermentation.

The fermentation and maturation take place in demi-muids (large 600-litre oak barrels) and stainless steel tanks. The wine matures in these vessels over time, and without the obtrusion of oak tannins, which would otherwise disrespect the subtle fruit aromas.

Ageing potential is at least 10 years from the date of release.

Alc 12.5%

Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly

--------THE PRODUCER--------

Millton Vineyards

James & Annie Millton established Millton Vineyards & Winery in 1984. Their four individual dry farmed vineyards are situated on the East Coast of New Zealand in the wine appellation of Gisborne. A small artisan winegrower, Millton was the first producer in New Zealand to gain BioGro certification for organic wine production in 1989. Having practiced traditional methods of cultivation and production centred on biodynamic principles since inception, Millton were the first winegrowers in the Southern Hemisphere to gain the biodynamic certification Demeter in 2009.

--------THE REGION--------

Gisborne

Gisborne rewards those who take a trip east with a diverse range of wines, from full-flavoured and fruit-driven, to critically acclaimed biodynamic classics.

Gisborne is home to a mix of large producers, boutique wineries, and entrepreneurial growers, who are continuously exploring new varieties and vineyard sites. A dynamic food and wine scene completes the picture.
Rich in history, Gisborne claims Captain Cook’s first landfall, as well as being the first place in New Zealand to see the sunrise.
Chardonnay is the dominant variety and enjoys great success, though a very wide range of red and white varieties are successfully established and new varieties are always trialled. Hillside land is being explored and matched with new varieties and clones; Gisborne’s renaissance is fully underway.

The mix of high sunshine, verdant landscapes, fascinating history and the exciting range of wine styles makes Gisborne a beguiling wine destination.

Gisborne wine subregions

Regional Maps 2020, Gisborne

Regularly recording some of the highest sunshine and temperatures in New Zealand sees Gisborne frequently the country’s first to be harvested. 

A. Ormond

North of the city, where the river valley narrows into the Raukumara Ranges the site of Gisborne’s original plantings (and some of today’s best vineyards and wines) produces numerous single-vineyard wines. This area is also home to ‘The Golden Slope’, a 10km gently-sloping, free-draining escarpment with limestone-influenced topsoil, which produces some of Gisborne’s best Chardonnay.

B. Patutahi

Around one-third of region’s vines are found on this warmer inland site, to the west of the city. With low rainfall and well-draining, sloping clay and silt soils this area produces excellent, rich Gewürztraminer, along with other varieties, with good texture and body.

C. Manutuke

In this coastal area, south of the city, vines were first established in the late 1890s. Chardonnay is the main variety grown in well-drained and sandy soils, with silty and heavier Kaiti clay soils found in sites to the hillier west. Nearer to the river, soil and climatic conditions can produce delightful botrytised wines and finely-textured aromatics.