I won’t ever forget the first time I tasted the wine that became our first batch of Mansfield Chardonnay.
It was 2016 and I was in the winery tasting from barrels two months after fermentation. I remember thinking - woah - I love this wine. It has to be the first in our premium lineup and it needs a name stat.
There’s always a great pleasure that comes with naming a wine. Some might think it’s the final piece of the puzzle but I assure you it’s different every time. Like the music world, do lyrics or the music come first? I guess it comes down to when connection is made between artist and creation.
Ode to Mansfield.
In this case, soon after barreling, the wine evolved and we started to get an understanding of the personality this site portrayed - elegance, power, purpose, longevity, expressive yet understated. I realised, how beautiful this wine had become over such a short period of time.
At this point I knew, this wine’s hallmark pointed in one direction - to my mother Jane.
Named after her maternal origins, the Mansfield Chardonnay is a small homage to a woman that is one of the true gifts to this world. A wine could never truly represent her, but it inspires me to create something that people can connect with and trust.
Why this Chardonnay is our finest.
This elegant Chardonnay fruit hails from the north-east facing site of the Rathmine Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. This site has blessed us with six incredible vintages and we are forever thankful to the wonderful grower who produced it.
While each year brings us unique qualities, the Mansfield is steadfast in it’s flavour and freshness. Think white peach, citrus, pine lime, and frosty fruit icy pole.
I truly feel that our Mansfield is all about pedigree, balance and elegance. It is no smoke and mirrors or heavily curated. It is an authentic Chardonnay true to its source.
Like its namesake, the Mansfield Chardonnay is honest, pure, enjoys good company and gets better with age.
“The Mansfield Chardonnay is a small homage to a woman that is one of the true gifts to this world. A wine could never truly represent her, but it inspires me to create something that people can connect with and trust.”
During harvest, I like to explore and challenge my ‘house style’ of wine making. In this endeavour, I learn a little more each year and try to take small steps in crafting a better product. Our Mansfield is the epitome of this pursuit.
Each year I will aim to pay more attention and more detail to making it one of the finest wines of our portfolio.
Mum, you are an inspiration.
Editorial by Eliza LeMessurier.
