Dog Point Vineyard

Chardonnay 2020

Marlborough

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James Healy and Ivan Sutherland will tell you that it’s hard for them to grow much Chardonnay at the extremely high quality level they want for this wine. As with their Section 94 and Pinot Noir, the wine is distinctive due to extraordinary vineyard holdings, intense vineyard management geared towards low yields and hand-picked fruit, and long, low touch winemaking. The effect this work has on the Chardonnay, by nature the least expressive of these three grape varieties, is wild – the wine is intensely expressive, with loads of fruit, leesy character, and chalky minerality that is almost textural. As with all the wines they produce, it is considered a national standard bearer of a different shade.

Vineyard

Dog Point has Chardonnay planted in part on clay and silty valley floor vineyards, and in part on surrounding clay loam vineyards. Two clones predominate, 75% Mendoza and 25% Clone 95, with some plantings dating back to 1981. Grapes are, as always, hand-picked (95% of New Zealand’s vineyards are machine harvested).
Dog Point operates under what is called the “Biogro” program, an initiative to promote the production of premium quality wine utilizing environmentally friendly and responsible practices, details of which are further down.

Winemaking

Hand picked and gently pressed straight to barrel (10% new) for eighteen months. No juice clarification with 100% wild primary and secondary fermentation. Bottled without fining and with only minimal filtration.

Vintage

A warm growing season with very dry conditions between January and April with only 45mm falling (less than 30% of the average). A season which will be remembered for other reasons however, with calm decision making and patience were required. That patience resulted in perfect ripening conditions at the end the harvest, and the hand-harvested fruit required very little sorting. Over-all a very rewarding vintage — one of the best the region has experienced in recent years.

Tasting Note

A ripe citrus spectrum of fruit is at the core of a complex chardonnay with spice, toasted nuts and gravelly, flint aromas. A pure and focused palate with a bright, crunchy structure and fine acidity. The complex barrel aged flavors also imparting textures that carry on the back of the fine acidity.

Color

White

Grape Varieties

Chardonnay

Appellation

Marlborough

Farming

Certified Organic & Sustainable. All vineyards were converted to organic farming in 2009. 2,000 sheep graze and fertilize in winter; prunings are composted and spread; 25 steer also graze the property.

Alcohol

13.5%

Suggested Retail Price

$42

Reviews

"Silky texture"

James Suckling - November 28, 2022 (Top 100 Wines of New Zealand 2022) "Inviting aromas of flint, matchstick, grated nutmeg, dried lemon rind and sliced grapefruit. Medium-bodied with silky texture. Fresh and bright fruit turns more savory with herbs and spice coming to the forefront. Layered. Tannic, tight finish." -J.S 11/22

"Salted butterscotch, brioche"

Wine Spectator - August 18, 2023 "Succulent and mouthwatering, with a snappy mix of lemon curd, lemon blossom, and flint elements. Shows more nuanced notes of salted butterscotch, brioche and litsea oil that linger in the background, while the fresh, vibrant acidity is sleek on the finish, providing focus and length." -J.S 11/22

"Almond skin and puff pastry"

Wine & Spirits - August 18, 2023 "Flinty reduction is the most immediate impression, before the luscious texture and fresh finish begin to take its place. This fruit, including some from vines planted in 1981, is pressed directly to barrel (10 percent new), where it is left to ferment on its own yeasts and age with all of its lees for 18 months. It develops scents of almond skin and puff pastry, with acidity to keep it firm and mouthwatering, especially with roast veal of rabbit. Or, as Corey Warren suggested, “Bring it to a blind tasting group and see who calls Meursault." -J.G. 2/23

"Salted butterscotch, brioche"

Wine Spectator - October 13, 2023 "Succulent and mouthwatering, with a snappy mix of lemon curd, lemon blossom, and flint elements. Shows more nuanced notes of salted butterscotch, brioche and litsea oil that linger in the background, while the fresh, vibrant acidity is sleek on the finish, providing focus and length. " -M.W 10/23

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Trade Materials

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