Sourced primarily from Saint Clair’s vineyards in Marlborough’s Omaka valley where a combination of warm days, cool nights and clay based soils contribute to greater retention of fruit flavours. The fruit is a blend of Chardonnay clones, predominantly Mendoza and Burgundian Clone 95. The vines were monitored carefully during ripening and hand harvested at optimum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness. 

The fruit was lightly whole bunch pressed and the juice fermented in American oak barrels, sixteen per cent of which were new, using selected yeast strains. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation, followed by nine months aging on yeast lees with regular stirring. Only the very best barrels were selected for the Omaka Reserve Chardonnay.