Lion's Tooth Chardonnay, Pyramid Valley Vineyards 2018

Lighter soils (more limestone in the topsoil) than Field of Fire, more exposed, faces east and ripens a little earlier, always more golden in colour. Same winemaking as for the Field of Fire Chardonnay 2018. Pale gold. Smells richer and riper than the Field of Fire with less reductive character and more apricot as well as ripe lemon. More spicy on the palate and broader in the mouth, tastes softer and more gentle. Lower malic acid because of the site, explains Steve Smith. Generous fruit but still in balance and the aftertaste is still salty and crisp, the acidity seems to build and gets more salty and mouth-watering. Smith attributes this to the limestone in topsoil but admits, ‘I don’t know the mechanism’. Drink 2019 – 2024