Set to become a cult classic in New Zealand, this was three years in the making with just one barrel produced. Ash has an amazing depth of experience working in France, which has informed her approach to this wine -

“An homage to my time spent in the Jura learning how to make ‘sous voile’ and ‘vin jaune’ wines. Due to its extended time in barrel and significant amount of evaporation this is a rich, creamy, oxidative wine with texture and a long, dry finish. Due to early picking, there is a crisp and refreshing mid palate. The perfect wine to start or end an evening."

Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed Chardonnay was wild yeast fermented with full malolactic fermentation in an old barrique, and kept in barrel for 3 years without topping up. After one year in barrel the wine developed a veil (a flor that grows in a thin layer over the wine, protecting it from oxidation). From a 225L barrique, approximately 60L evaporated over the 3 years. A true lesson in patience and letting the wine rest, it was only checked once a year to ensure the veil was not disturbed.

Ashleigh Barrowman, mentored by industry legends like Patrick Sullivan, Hans Herzog and Domaine Labet, returned to Marlborough in 2020 to make wines of her own. Enamoured with the certified organic Wrekin Vineyard in Marlborough, it's from here she crafts distinct single-vineyard, single-varietal wines that epitomise their origins. And for us, they are some of the most exciting wines in New Zealand at the moment.