Lake Chalice Decanter Gold Medal – Plume

We have the pleasure of announcing that the Lake Chalice Plume 2016 Chardonnay has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards! 

Over 18,000 wines were tasted in the competition from 56 countries. The Plume Chardonnay was awarded 95 points, which is a Gold medal, and the judges described the wine as “a classy nose of cut grass, hazelnut, caffe latte and hints of spice are matched by the svelte, creamy palate with nectarine on the appetising finish.”

The fruit was hand-harvested and then gently whole bunch pressed to tank before immediately going to barrel. It spends very little time in the tank – only hours, compared to days settling for our other parcels. “We’ve selected only the very best barrels from within the batch” Winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen notes, “Each barrel adds a layer of complexity to the blend because we have so many components to choose from, adding different aspects of oak influence from the coopers, texture from oak or solids and flavour profile from the fermentations.” 

The wine then goes through a wild primary fermentation followed by a wild malolactic fermentation, where it is stirred on its lees before completion and then left to settle naturally in barrel for close to 10 months. 

Winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen independently fermented unique parcels of fruit from a single vineyard, this particular wine was sourced from Peter and Anne Reed’s in the Lower Waihopai Valley, Marlborough. This boutique approach retains the quality and reputation of Lake Chalice Wines globally.

Lake Chalice is delighted to add this impressive accolade to the list of highly commended reviews for the Plume Chardonnay.  It’s also been awarded a 4.5 Starts from Top Tastes, 19/20 Points from Candice at Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, and 94/100 Points from Bob Campbell MW.