The maritime winds around Nobilo's Poverty Bay vineyard serve to fully ripen grapes and concentrate flavours as the fruit achieves healthy levels of baume with excellent balance of sugars and acidity. Chardonnay is harvested and destemmed, crushed with little or no skin contact. Parcels are vinified at moderate temperatures to retain the bright varietal characters of Poverty Bay Chardonnay. Half the juices are fermented and matured in a selection of seasoned and new French barriques to add a subliminal hint of oak and enhance complexity. A component is treated to malolactic and remains on yeast lees until assemblage. The final wine is cold stabilised, fined and sterile filtered before bottling.