Walnut Block Nutcracker Chardonnay
Rich nutty stone fruit flavours, and an elegant light oak touch in the finish.
£18.50
Taste
Creamy citrus and green apple fruits, Elegant with refined toasty character
Aroma
Clarified butter, Clove-sprinkled baked apple fruit
Description
Rich nutty stone fruit flavours, and an elegant light oak touch in the finish.
Meticulously sourced from 20 year old vines, with grapes being hand picked then whole-bunch pressed with natural, wild yeast fermentation in French oak barrels. Twelve months maturation in barrel. Fine, tightly-knit and of superb focus with marked intensity. Delightful bouquet of ripe spiced pear and peach all overlain by a sheen of creme patissiere. The lovely satin-like texture is energised by a seam of etched minerality and keen acidity. A Chardonnay of much style and grace. Fine persistence too.
- 4.5 stars, Winestate Magazine, ‘Still unfolding, bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant, with fresh acidity and concentrated, peachy, toasty, slightly creamy flavours, showing very good complexity.’ Michael Cooper MW (2019 vintage)
- 92 points, Real Review, ‘Rich, flavoursome chardonnay, with a mix of fruit (grapefruit, white peach) and savoury (struck-flint, toast, brioche and spicy oak) characters. A textural, mouth-filling wine, with a backbone of crisp acidity and fine, drying tannins. Should develop well with bottle age.’ Bob Campbell MW (2019 vintage)
- 16/20, JancisRobinson.com, ‘Yeasty, nutty nose. Clean palate with bright apricot and peach fruit, some attractive salty notes and just a touch of orange peel which seems very slightly oxidative on the finish.‘ Richard Hemming, October 2017 (2015 vintage)
Taste
Creamy citrus and green apple fruits, Elegant with refined toasty character
Aroma
Clarified butter, Clove-sprinkled baked apple fruit
Founded in 2005, Walnut Block Wines is the vision of two brothers – Clyde and Nigel Sowman. In combining their experience in viticulture and the wine industry with their passion for and appreciation of fine wine, they have created a boutique winery offering a unique range of superbly crafted organic Marlborough wines. The estate takes its name from Marlborough’s oldest walnut tree that towers majestically above the Sauvignon Blanc vines, providing a special historical focal point for the vineyard.
First planted in 1996, the Walnut Block vineyard lies in the world-renowned Wairau Valley. Marlborough’s unique winegrowing conditions reflect a combination of alluvial soils, deposited over thousands of years from an ancient river bed that flowed between the mountainous borders of this valley, the region’s high sunshine hours and the temperate New Zealand climate. The soils found here in Marlborough’s Rapaura sub-region provide ideal growing conditions for intensely fruit-focused wines. With stony, free-draining subsoils and younger alluvial silts layered above, Rapaura encourages a unique style, with generous ripe-fruit flavours and pungent aromas. As Clyde says, “By allowing the vines to evolve organically and adapt to the environment we can produce wine that highlights the region’s diversity.” The decision to farm organically reflected their belief that they could grow grapes of finer quality than those grown using conventional methods. As the vines have become more self-sufficient and naturally balanced a greater depth of flavour and improved mouthfeel in the wines has become apparent. The entire 17 hectare estate is certified organic by BioGro New Zeland. Labour intensive vineyard methods produce consistent, exceptional fruit quality, and the use of traditional winemaking techniques and attention to preserving delicate flavours result in expressive and balanced wines.
The Collectables wine series label has been proudly designed to bring some of New Zealand’s rich history to wine lovers. Depicting an adaptation of the 1898 Kiwi New Zealand stamp, the label is symbolic of New Zealand’s past and these young fruit driven Marlborough wines. The Nutcracker range is the flagship brand and represents the pinnacle of the vineyard’s fruit. The dedication that the brothers and their team demonstrate in organic winegrowing allied to only applying minimal intervention allows nature to truly express the terroir in these exemplary offerings.
Description
Meticulously sourced from 20 year old vines, with grapes being hand picked then whole-bunch pressed with natural, wild yeast fermentation in French oak barrels. Twelve months maturation in barrel. Fine, tightly-knit and of superb focus with marked intensity. Delightful bouquet of ripe spiced pear and peach all overlain by a sheen of creme patissiere. The lovely satin-like texture is energised by a seam of etched minerality and keen acidity. A Chardonnay of much style and grace. Fine persistence too.
- 4.5 stars, Winestate Magazine, ‘Still unfolding, bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant, with fresh acidity and concentrated, peachy, toasty, slightly creamy flavours, showing very good complexity.’ Michael Cooper MW (2019 vintage)
- 92 points, Real Review, ‘Rich, flavoursome chardonnay, with a mix of fruit (grapefruit, white peach) and savoury (struck-flint, toast, brioche and spicy oak) characters. A textural, mouth-filling wine, with a backbone of crisp acidity and fine, drying tannins. Should develop well with bottle age.’ Bob Campbell MW (2019 vintage)
- 16/20, JancisRobinson.com, ‘Yeasty, nutty nose. Clean palate with bright apricot and peach fruit, some attractive salty notes and just a touch of orange peel which seems very slightly oxidative on the finish.‘ Richard Hemming, October 2017 (2015 vintage)
About the estate
Founded in 2005, Walnut Block Wines is the vision of two brothers – Clyde and Nigel Sowman. In combining their experience in viticulture and the wine industry with their passion for and appreciation of fine wine, they have created a boutique winery offering a unique range of superbly crafted organic Marlborough wines. The estate takes its name from Marlborough’s oldest walnut tree that towers majestically above the Sauvignon Blanc vines, providing a special historical focal point for the vineyard.
First planted in 1996, the Walnut Block vineyard lies in the world-renowned Wairau Valley. Marlborough’s unique winegrowing conditions reflect a combination of alluvial soils, deposited over thousands of years from an ancient river bed that flowed between the mountainous borders of this valley, the region’s high sunshine hours and the temperate New Zealand climate. The soils found here in Marlborough’s Rapaura sub-region provide ideal growing conditions for intensely fruit-focused wines. With stony, free-draining subsoils and younger alluvial silts layered above, Rapaura encourages a unique style, with generous ripe-fruit flavours and pungent aromas. As Clyde says, “By allowing the vines to evolve organically and adapt to the environment we can produce wine that highlights the region’s diversity.” The decision to farm organically reflected their belief that they could grow grapes of finer quality than those grown using conventional methods. As the vines have become more self-sufficient and naturally balanced a greater depth of flavour and improved mouthfeel in the wines has become apparent. The entire 17 hectare estate is certified organic by BioGro New Zeland. Labour intensive vineyard methods produce consistent, exceptional fruit quality, and the use of traditional winemaking techniques and attention to preserving delicate flavours result in expressive and balanced wines.
The Collectables wine series label has been proudly designed to bring some of New Zealand’s rich history to wine lovers. Depicting an adaptation of the 1898 Kiwi New Zealand stamp, the label is symbolic of New Zealand’s past and these young fruit driven Marlborough wines. The Nutcracker range is the flagship brand and represents the pinnacle of the vineyard’s fruit. The dedication that the brothers and their team demonstrate in organic winegrowing allied to only applying minimal intervention allows nature to truly express the terroir in these exemplary offerings.
Stylish White
A favourite of mine, a flavoursome wine that goes with anything and excellent on its own. Very lightly creamy and on top of the new NZ Chardonnays.
Michael (verified owner) –