Whitewolfe Estates KC2 Chardonnay 2023

Whitewolfe Estates KC2 Chardonnay 

Region: North Downs, Kent, England

Vintage: 2023

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Chardonnay

ABV: 12.5%

This wine has an intense nose of lemon curd, pastry and vanilla. The palate is medium bodied. Notes of fresh lemon, green apple and toasted almond are complemented by creamy mouthfeel. Taut acidity and fine structure lead to a long, powerful finish.

The south-facing ‘Whitewolfe’ vineyard has a micro-climate that helps protect against heavy rains. Weather fronts that approach from the River Medway (less than 1-kilometre southeast) split just before the vineyard and largely fall on land on either side, increasing the vineyard’s average temperature. The North Downs shields it from the cooler northeasterly winds, but also traps warmer air from the southeast. This results in a longer, more consistent ripening period. The soils, which are clay-loam over chalk, drain freely and retain heat. The single guyot trained vines were planted in 2020 using seven different Chardonnay clones (predominantly Burgundy clones) to express different characteristics of the site. Each block is managed according to the specifics of its clone.

The grapes were harvested by hand and separated by clone. Each Chardonnay clone was fermented separately in third fill Burgundy barrels, with different yeasts and press fractions tailored to each clone’s characteristics. ‘KC2’ Chardonnay was predominantly clones 95 and 121, with the former bringing structure and richness and the latter providing freshness. A small proportion of clones FR155 and 76 was also included for their intense aromatics. The wines were aged for 11 months in barrel before blending and bottling. Blending was determined by careful barrel selection, with barrels exuding particularly savoury and complex citrus flavours selected for the final blend of ‘KC2’.