Te Awa Chardonnay is sourced from several of their best vineyard blocks, located on free draining gravel soils. These vineyard blocks grow three clones of Chardonnay which all contribute to the balance and complexity of the final wine. Most of these vineyard blocks are dry farmed and the grapes are grown organically. The 2020 vintage is no exception.

The 2020 vintage followed a warm and dry summer in Hawke’s Bay which has produced another outstanding Te Awa Chardonnay. In late February, the grapes were hand-picked in perfect condition and made the short trip to the winery to be loaded into the press as whole bunches. After a gentle pressing the juice was run directly to French oak hogshead barrels. The juice in the barrel fermented spontaneously with wild yeast and some underwent a natural malolactic fermentation. The young wine then stayed in barrel for 10 months with regular lees stirring, before being blended and prepared for bottling.