Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay

Irongate

Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay

2025

The legend, the icon. The wise old Chardonnay that refuses to act its age.

Irongate Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay

Irongate Chardonnay is grown in our flagship Irongate Vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels appellation of Hawke’s Bay. From origins in 1985 as a secret experiment in barrel fermentation, this wine now represents the very best of our craft. The vines are pre-selected early in the season at pruning, and crop levels are closely monitored. The result is a limited release wine that is built to last, with spectacular varietal and regional flavours.
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Tasting Notes

Peach and cashew with floral notes, apple and brioche. Opulent and inviting.

Peach and lemon lead the palate with a fine thread of acidity providing focus. Fresh and juicy with lively mealy texture, precise yet rich. Lime and mineral notes linger on the persistent finish. Elegant.

Winemaker Notes

"This Chardonnay was sourced from Mendoza-clone vines in Blocks 1 and 5 of the Irongate Vineyard in Gimblett Gravels. The fruit was hand-picked and gently whole-bunch pressed before fermentation in French oak barriques. The majority of the wine underwent wild fermentation, with a smaller portion inoculated. Partial wild malolactic fermentation occurred during primary fermentation. The wine was matured in barrel for a little over 10 months, with lees stirring adding texture and complexity, before fining and filtration."

Food Pairing

Crab and sweetcorn risotto with lemon and chives or Wild mushroom and leek tart with toasted hazelnuts

Technical Notes

Alc 14.0%
TA 6.1g/L
pH 3.42
RS 0.7g/L

Key Information

First Vintage 1985
Region Gimblett Gravel, Hawke's Bay
Fermentation Vessel Oak barriques - 23% new French Oak.
Malolactic 62% wild during primary fermentation
Fining Trim Milk