Fromm Winery started producing Chardonnay right from their very first vintage back in 1992. Over the years, the grapes have been sourced from several Marlborough vineyards.
Today two sites in the Brancott Valley produce the fruit for the La Strada label. Both, the lower gravelly part of the Clayvin Vineyard and William Hoare’s Riverbrook Vineyard are mainly planted with the low cropping “Mendoza” clone.
In addition Fromm vinify a single vineyard wine from the clay soils of the Clayvin Vineyard from 100% “Mendoza”, a restrained, mineral scented terroir expression. Chardonnay more than any other variety shows how appropriate care in the vineyard can result in high quality grapes and wines with similar structure and pedigree to the fines white Burgundies. It is not in an attempt to copy Burgundy but to achieve the same textural quality with low ripe acidity and low pH and with more emphasis placed on soil-related (minerally) characters than obvious tropical fruit aspects.
