Chardonnay 2020

97/100 ★★★★★

A spectacular offering combining grace and power; the immensely appealing bouquet shows golden peach, fig, lemon sorbet and vanillin oak characters with a hint of brioche. The powerfully concentrated palate delivers both refinement and richness, brilliantly framed by bright acidity. With a symphony of seductive flavours, it’s flatteringly classy and impeccably detailed with layers of exquisite textures and flavours.

- Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

96/100 ★★★★★
Seamless, silken-textured chardonnay with grapefruit, citrus, nectarine, apricot, mandarin blossom, ginger and nutty barrel fermentation characters. A sophisticated, complex wine that is deliciously approachable now but promises to develop well with bottle age.

- Bob Campbell, The Real Review

97/100 ★★★★★

Fantastic bouquet, complex and new, a core of ripe yellow and white fleshed orchard fruit, grapefruit and lemon then layers of leesy and French oak scents. A silky-cream texture touches the palate first then a core of myriad fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet along with a sound and judicious use of oak. Fine wood tannins and a roasted nut complexity, medium+ acidity and lengthy complex finish. Fantastic wine, ready for drinking from late 2022 through 2030+.

- Cameron Douglas, MS

Three vineyards have been blended to make this Chardonnay, two from Mangatahi – inland and elevated, and the third from the Bridge Pa Triangle. The inland, elevated sites provide purity of fruit while the Bridge Pa site with old vines contribute weight of flavour. All three are the Mendoza clone which we love, the hen and chicken berries providing intense fruit flavours, and all three are Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand accredited. The majority of this Chardonnay is old vine, while just over twenty percent came from first crop. Canopy management, yield management and irrigation control was excellent.

The Chardonnay grapes have been hand picked and cool stored overnight. The chilled bunches were hand sorted the following morning and then whole bunch pressed. The majority of fruit was cold settled, then racked to barrel, while some juice went directly from the press to barrel. Indigenous and cultured yeast completed fermentation, ageing on gross fermentation lees for approximately 10 months with some lees stirring. New and one year old French oak barriques, well-seasoned, were selected.

A bright fresh complex Chardonnay. Lemon curd abounds, some subtle leesy, mealy notes which meld beautifully with the sweet French oak. Juicy acidity lifts the citrus fruit and complements the generous weight of flavour, from ageing in barrique on full lees.

Will age gracefully for the next 5 – 7 years.

Alcohol: 14.0% Total acidity: 6.0 g/l