Drop of the Day – Nautilus Chardonnay 2020
The weather has more than played its part in producing the exceptional Nautilus Chardonnay 2020 under ‘unusual’ circumstances.
Nautilus Estate’s 2020 harvest, like all vineyards around the world, will be remembered as ‘unusual.’ The measures and practices which were used to ensure everyone remained safe from the virus made things challenging to say the least. But throughout the harvest, the one thing that always remained in their favour was the weather. Perhaps even better than they could have asked for.
Perfect ripening conditions with an early arrival of the autumn weather pattern of cool nights and warm, but not hot, days allowed the fruit to take its time in developing its flavour. In fact, the fruit condition was so pristine, Nautilus said it was some of the best they’ve seen. Not bad when you’re in the middle of a nationwide lockdown.
The fruit from their Renwick vineyard was also blended with a small amount of ancestral DNA i.e. a clone of the original Chardonnay vines from Burgundy, which were grown on stony and free draining sites, giving naturally lower yields, fantastic depth of flavour and mineral structure.
All that delicious fruit packs in a lot of complexity into the bouquet and palate of this Chardonnay. The straw-coloured wine greets your nose with a bouquet of ripe apricots, brioche and toasted hazelnuts with a hint of flint being struck against steel thrown into the mix. Your palate on the other hand will enjoy stone fruits and honeysuckle along with a nutty complexity from the natural ferments. You needn’t worry about savouring each sip because the palate has such good depth of flavour and concentration with a finish that lasts and lasts. The wine has a tight mineral structure and will develop a creamy texture as it matures.
A palate such as this pairs beautifully with our Leek Risotto with Toasted Walnuts, Sage Brown Butter and Creamy Brie or our Chicken and Broccolini with Miso Mushrooms. For a light snack with your glass of wine, you can’t go wrong with shellfish dishes like our Sumac Fried Mussels with Tzatziki.
Pick up a bottle of Nautilus Chardonnay 2020 today from your local stockist or online at nautilusestate.com
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latest issue:
126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.