Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay 750ml

The riflemans vineyard is set on a beautiful, elevated river terrace. our grapes have always thrived there – and, in the early days, so did the birds. with no other food source for some distance they gorged daily on our precious fruit. we responded with equal fervour, brandishing shotguns while riding the quads or walking the block. when we’d successfully harvested and pressed to barrel, we chalked up ‘shotgun chardonnay’ on the barrelheads. when it came to bottling we decided on a more positive spin and called the wine riflemans – the name of a little known native bird, whose maori name, titipounamu, means little greenstone. intriguing, lifted aromas of ripe mandarin peel, nectarine, hazelnut and vanilla bean with nuances of nutmeg and lemon meringue. the palate is extremely intense with a seamless flow of sweet citrus notes and baked apple. finely knit and very classical with sensational length the hallmark of this iconic vineyard.