Hopeless Thoughtful 'Honeybutter' Skin Contact Chardonnay 2024 | Canowindra, NSW

A Skin Contact Chardonnay that was grown in Canowindra, made in Wollongong, and a testament to good things taking their time.

Textural fruit notes of dried apricot, grapefruit peel, and pithy citrus, accented by oregano and dried kitchen herbs, and finished with a hint of condensed milk.

Light bodied and dry, slight fruit pith in texture, a dash of bright acidity that balanced out a chewy phenolic grip, and a touch of creamy smoothness on the back palate.

Producer: Hopeless Thoughtful Wine

Region: Canowindra - Central West, New South Wales

Grapes: Chardonnay

NERD NOTES

"Organic Chardonnay grown in Canowindra. The grapes were destemmed into an open fermenter and sealed for a gentle carbonic ferment. After 7 days on skins, they were pressed to stainless and left to rest for 12 months.

During a cellar clean-up after bottling a red wine, the weld on the tank valve unexpectedly cracked. I made the somewhat irrational decision to empty the light orange wine into the unrinsed, mostly empty, red wine barrel.

Initially the wine turned hazy brown, this was not ideal. But time persisted, and 6 months later, the wine was a nice peachy orange colour. It was then bottled without the addition of sulphur straight out of the barrel.

So after a total of 7 days on skins, 12 months in stainless, and 6 months in barrel, the wine is here."