2023 was a very cool vintage with intermittent rainfall, prolonging the ripening period, enabling good fruit flavor development without high sugars. The Longview team worked very hard in the vineyard ensuring good airflow and bunch positioning to help ripen evenly. Most varietals were harvested much later than most years however this ensured fruit flavour and balance. Whilst the yield was down across the board, 2023 will be remembered as an excellent vintage which should age magnificently. Sorting and selection start out in our high-altitude Chardonnay vineyards, where only the best bunches are handpicked, ensuring low yield, yet high quality. Using a mix of Entav clones, to offer more blending options, the fruit is whole bunched pressed with the juice racked into French oak puncheons (30% new, 30% second use, 40% third use) and barrel fermented for 20 days. A portion of the blend sees malolactic fermentation and lees contact for approximately 3 months, with a total time of 7 months in oak before light filtration pre-bottling. - Winery note