Waikare, North Canterbury
Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at high density of 11,111 vines/ha and farmed bio-dynamically from inception, Field of Fire is a tiny, 0.3ha southeast-facing block with slightly variable, graduating soils, primarily clays over chalky limestone.
20-25% clay, 5-10% active lime.
Winemaking
Foot stomped and whole bunch pressed. Vineyard yeast ferment, aged in French oak barrels. 20 months on lees in barrels, then aged on light lees for 6 months in stainless steel prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered in June 2022.
Tasting notes
Golden straw colour with a matt Lisbon lemon hue. Complex medley of grapefruit peel, pine nuts, oatmeal, delicate white flowers and early summer meadow, constrained only by its youth. Cool, racy, almost pure fresh lemonade juice intensity fills the early palate; steel, saltiness, then more mouth-filling with lemon curd, hazelnuts and an almost sourdough maltiness; finishing long with visions of the sea and grapefruit pith. A sensational expression unique to this place and this vintage.
Our 2020 Field of Fire Chardonnay is proudly one of the world’s first origin-verified wines. We partner with Oritain to scientifically trace the geochemical fingerprint* of our wine back to the unique clay and limestone-rich soils of the vineyard block it is named after.
