One of Hawke's Bay's leading wineries is Esk Valley. It was already a successful winery in the 1930s. However, business declined after a few years, and 20 years ago, the winery was acquired by George Fistonisch, the founder of Villa Maria. This marked the beginning of a new success story. It is a unique winery that produces its wines with great care and an eye for quality. Under the leadership of head winemaker Gordon Russell, the finest wines are released. He believes that texture in a wine is just as important as a beautiful aroma and an elegant palate.
The grapes for this Esk Valley Chardonnay come from vineyards around Hawkes Bay. The northern vineyards produce a finished wine with aromas of tropical fruit, while the grapes grown on the terraces above the Tutaekuri River in Puketapu add a grapefruit note to this white wine. Natural acidity is also present in the blended wine. Every effort is made to achieve the best quality. The grapes from the different vineyards are vinified separately and matured in oak barrels. Half of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation to soften and round out the final wine. The result is an elegant New Zealand Chardonnay. Aromas of peach and melon are detected on the nose, intertwined with hints of butter, grapefruit, and French oak spice. A beautifully elegant and above all pure white wine with a pleasant finish.
