Stonier Merricks Chardonnay 2024

Chardonnay fruit was handpicked and cooled overnight at the winery in small crates to prevent crushing. 24 hours later a small percentage (25%) of the fruit was foot stomped before immediately being tipped into the press with the remainder of the whole fruit, to encourage greater solids for ferment. A press cut is made at approximately 570 L/T, with the subsequent pressings kept separate. Free run juice then receives a sulphur addition and minimal setting (less than 12 hours) before being transferred to 500 L French oak puncheons, 18% of which were new. The juice then undergoes wild fermentation, with 2 battonage’s occurring at the end of ferment. A portion (20%) then underwent malolactic fermentation, with remainder sulphured in late winter. The wine was then blended in December before a coarse filtration and bottling.