The Shout Magazine (New Zealand)

Sacred Hill releases new vintage

Sacred Hill has released a new vintage of its renowned Riflemans Chardonnay.

The 2015 vintage is the third in a row, thanks to near-perfect growing conditions for the vineyard which allowed an unhurried and careful handpicking regime, ensuring that only fruit of optimum maturity was selected.

The clean fruit allowed the winemakers to undertake traditional methods of indigenous fermentation in French oak barrels, both new and one year old and the result is a vintage that is both rich and dense, yet beautifully balanced by fresh aromatics and mouthfeel.

The wine has a pale straw appearance with lifted aromas of lemon meringue, mandarin peel and grapefruit over-laid with complex notes of almond biscotti, hazelnut and toasted brioche. The palate experience is a flavoursome journey from sweet citrus, to nutty and then through to an intense finish of tangerine, mandarin peel and white truffle.

2015 Riflemans Chardonnay, RRP $69.95.