Hattingley 2020 Still Chardonnay 75cl

‘I don’t like chardonnay but I do like Chablis’, sound familiar? It’s a well-trodden phrase in the wine world, sommelier’s hear it often. The reason people say this is because they remember the heavy oaky Chardonnay’s of the 90’s, Chablis actually uses the same grape variety for all of its wines, Chardonnay, but they use very little oak indeed.

This is much like our own Still Chardonnay, there is a very small amount of old barrels used to add a little texture and a touch of malolactic (one for the nerds amongst you) to soften the acidity. In short, this is a beautifully fresh and clean wine from what will probably be hailed as the best vintage to date in the UK. 

Technical details:

YEAR - 2020
GRAPE - Chardonnay 100%
ALCOHOL (ABV) - 12.6%
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN - Yes
STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS - Please keep in a cool, dark place if possible.
DRINKING WINDOW - Perfect for drinking this year.

HARVEST

Spring frosts in late April and early May slightly reduced the crop for some of our vineyard sites. We then saw an almost perfect growing season with ideal weather conditions throughout: unseasonably warm weather from late spring and into summer, a few days of rain in August and a mini heatwave in September, led to the earliest harvest in our history with little disease pressure and great, clean fruit, bursting with flavours and superb levels of ripeness. The drier than average season meant that bunch weight were smaller, so the overall yield was lower than 2018 and 2019 – a blessing after two such bumper years.

‘At least the wines will be good… 2020 may have not been the best year for humankind, but it was a brilliant one for grapes. With all the time in the world to spend in the vineyards we were able to nurture certain plots to ultimate ripeness, hence this, our first Still Chardonnay.’ 
Emma Rice
Head Winemaker

WINEMAKING

The grapes for this Still Chardonnay were carefully selected from a range of parcels in Kent and Essex. Handpicked and gently whole-bunch pressed; the juice was fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks in order to retain its freshness and fruit purity. A very small proportion was fermented in old oak barrels to add a touch of spice whilst only 20% of the blend was put through malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the bright fruit character and zesty acidity. The wine was filtered and bottled whilst still young and vibrant.

Tasting notes:

STILL WHITE 2020

Pale lemon colour with soft green hue, this Chardonnay has wonderfully pronounced citrus, blossom and grapefruit aromas, with a hint of honey and pear. The palate is clean and fresh, with a mouthful of green apple flavours, and a creamy texture that is nicely balanced with its natural vibrant bright acidity. A fine and rich mouthfeel, with a long dry finish.

FOOD PAIRING

Hopefully within two metres of friends or family…. 

Awards:

2021 AWARDS

Wine GB Awards - STILL White 2020 awarded Silver Medal.
International Wine & Spirit Competition - STILL White 2020 awarded Bronze Medal.
International Wine Competition - STILL White 2020 awarded Bronze Medal.