Cloudburst Chardonnay 2018

This is bright and vivid with fantastic structure and tension. Aromas of lightly cooked apples, cream and hints of toasted oak. Full-bodied, yet so bright and agile. Goes on for minutes. Minerally, tangy and bright. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Salt-tinged citrus fruit and lime zest with huge texture and tension. This is bright and sparky with a sense of control, even though the warmth and richness of Chardonnay - from a warm, dry season tempered by cool nights - widens things out after a few minutes in the glass, adding texture and power. I love this, and love the memory of last tasting this wine on a train to Paris with winemaker and owner Will Berliner armed with cheese and a baguette. 3.6pH. Drinking Window 2020 - 2028

Cloudburst's 2018 Chardonnay was fermented and aged in 50% new French oak, but you'd hardly know it from tasting the wine. Gentle toast and crème brûlée aromas appear on the nose alongside intense pineapple and white peach notes, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plump and silky in feel, with a long, mouthwatering finish. Impeccably balanced, with barely noticeable oak, it can be drunk anytime over the next 5-6 years.