The King’s Bastard Chardonnay 2020
In a year of lows (thanks COVID…), The King’s Bastard Chardonnay 2020 vintage stands out as one of the highlights.
2020 will be remembered for many reasons, but as far as the wine industry is concerned, the 2020 vintage of The King’s Bastard Chardonnay will be remembered as one of royally good quality that will be enjoyed by Chardonnay lovers across the globe.
Something 2020 might also be remembered for is the very hot and dry summer – the driest weather Marlborough has experienced in 88 years. This worked in the winemakers’ favour, helping to deliver an aromatic wine full of bright and exuberant freshness, gifted by selected blocks across Marisco’s top producing Waihopai and Southern Valleys vineyards.
A wine of style, The King’s Bastard Chardonnay 2020 is brimming with oak while the palate is focussed and balanced, resulting from the partial use of malolactic fermentation. The winemakers selected malolactic bacteria that produce low levels of the compound that is associated with ‘butteriness’, and therefore, this wine shows great fruit and oak expression with a nice hint of gun flint, which is often sought after in modern Chardonnays.
The yeasts used in the winemaking process clearly paid off as the alluring stonefruit aromas of melon, nectarine, citrus and a supporting oak background create a vibrant nose. The stonefruit and mealy flavours carry through to the palate which are supported by subtle flint and nutty notes from the extended time on lees. Partial malolactic fermentation has helped to soften the palate while the residual acidity leads the wine to a dry, lingering finish.
If you enjoy white meat, you’re in luck, because this wine pairs beautifully with chicken, pork or seafood. What could be better than a Sunday roast with our Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Scotch Fillet acting as the centrepiece and a glass of The King’s Bastard Chardonnay to sip it all down with.
Pick up a bottle of The King’s Bastard Chardonnay 2020 now from your local stockist or online at marisco.co.nz
Facebook: @MariscoVineyards
Instagram: @marisco_wines
Enter the dish tasting panel:
Our next Tasting Panel celebrates the best of New Zealand Chardonnay.
Entries close Thursday 25th June.
latest issue:
127
In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.