Maxim Wines is a small wine producer in Hawke?s Bay, New Zealand making small batches of beautiful, handcrafted wines with a particular passion for Hawke?s Bay Chenin Blanc and Syrah. Their fruit comes from carefully selected sites and growers in the region and their winemaking approach is gentle, with minimal handling and additions.

Maxim Wines' aim is to make wines that are an honest expression of where they?re from and how they?re made, speaking the truth of the soil beneath the vines, the sun that ripened the fruit and the light touch that shaped the finished drop.

The first ever Chardonnay released by Maxim Wines. This wine is beautifully balanced, elegant and has great drinkability.

This Chardonnay (Clone 15) is grown in the Bridge Pa triangle growing district of Hawke?s Bay. The soils are a mixture of free draining sandy loam over alluvial gravel.

The fruit was handpicked when ripe (22 Brix), followed by whole bunch pressed into barrels and Stainless Steel Egg fermenter. The Egg shaped tank maintains the wines freshness and enhances the palate with extended contact with the wine Lees, whilst the barrels create texture and richness. Both tank and barrels were wild yeast fermentation to create more nuanced wine with layers fruit, oak and richness. Once the wine finished ferment, I Lees stirred the Egg tank and oak barrels weekly for 6 months. Malo kicked off naturally and went about 30% through. Minimum palate fining and filtration prior bottling.