Description
Based in Napier, Hawkes Bay, Tony Bish focuses on producing and excelling at, just one grape variety; Chardonnay. His passion for this variety and innovation has led him to experiment with fermentation in concrete and oak eggs. In fact, Tony had the first concrete egg in New Zealand and the first ‘Ovum’ French oak egg in the Southern Hemisphere.
His ‘Heartwood’ Chardonnay is made in French oak barrels and as the name implies, uses only the Heart Wood of the 150-year-old oak trees used to make these barrels.
The oak trees selected for the Taransaud barrels possess an unrivalled character and depth – their slow growth and tight grain structure impart delicate notes of vanilla and spice and elevate Tonys Chardonnays to the next level.
Ripe fruit aromas of stone fruit and citrus are complemented by complex aromas of hazelnut, vanilla and spicy oak from the barrel fermentation. The balanced palate benefits from a wonderful acidity and structure from the oak ageing with the stone fruit characters still marked. The tannins are gentle and fine, the length persistence.