Tasted April 2008

Dog Point was set up by two husband and wife teams, many of you may know the Sauvignon but last week I hosted a corporate tasting and took along the Chardonnay. Wow what a drink, it's been some time since I tasted it & for all you Chardonnay lovers this wine is a dream!
Here's where the name came from "The name Dog Point dates from the earliest European settlement of Marlborough and the introduction of sheep to the district. "These were days of few fences, of boundary riders and boundary keeping dogs.
Shepherds' dogs sometimes became lost or wandered off and eventually bred into a marauding pack which attacked local flocks.
Their home was a tussock and scrub covered hill, overlooking the Wairau Plains, designated by the early settlers as Dog Point. " www.dogpoint.co.nz

Grapes: 100% Chardonnay

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Soil: Free draining silty clay loam

Winemaking: There is a belief at Dog Point that the wines should be an expression of the vineyard and the region they come from. I would imagine there is relatively low intervention in the winemaking process. The wine is matured for eighteen months in French oak barrels

ABV: 14.0%

Tasting Note
The wine is pale straw in colour with ripe tropical fruits, grapefruit & a subtle toasty character on the nose. On the palate this is so elegantly structured, the oak is there but it's not overwhelming so you still get the citrus & tropical fruit flavours. Drink this on its own (I did)…or with fish, white meats or shellfish.

Cellaring
Drink now - 2010

If you like this, why not try…Cullen Chardonnay. Ok it's a little more expensive, and quite difficult to get hold of but it's a stunning example of Western Australian Chardonnay and Vanya Cullen is an absolute inspiration.