13 minute read
Wine Report: Chardonnay
GREAT WHITES
Chardonnay has it all, says Joelle Thomson, and rounds up some excellent local examples to prove it.
Under RRP $20
2018 Mansion House Bay Chardonnay
RRP $18.99
Whitehaven Wines
Mansion House Bay Chardonnay is the little sibling of Whitehaven Chardonnay, one of Marlborough’s best dry whites. It has a medium body and dry, fresh flavours intertwined with a creamy mouthfeel and long, juicy finish. These qualities give this incredibly well-priced wine its broad appeal with Chardonnay lovers of both persuasions: those who love their favourite whites to taste big, soft and buttery, and those who enjoy refreshing modern whites. 17.5/20
2021 The Ned Chardonnay
RRP $18.99
Marisco
Big, bold and buttery in aroma, this Chardonnay tastes appealingly creamy and rich with its smooth, full body that will soften the hardest aromatic white wine lover, winning them over to Chardonnay’s charms. Bright acidity adds length to every flavoursome sip. 17.5/20
RRP $20 - $29.99
2021 Wairau River Estate Chardonnay
RRP $20
Federal Merchants
Chardonnay is one of Marlborough’s best-kept secrets thanks to the region’s hot summer days and cool nights, which provide close to ideal growing conditions for this great white grape. Warm, ripe stonefruit flavours of peach and citrus combine with hints of juicy, ruby grapefruit flavour, which add balance to this medium-bodied, great value, dry Chardonnay. 17.5/20
2020 Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Chardonnay
RRP $20.99
Tony Bish Wines
Another tasty Chardonnay under the cheeky Fat & Sassy name. This wine is defined by delicious barrel ferment characters, which add creamy, caramel and nutty aromas to its rounded full body, supported by zesty notes of lemon, ripe grapefruit zest and white peach on the finish. A great gateway to the Chardonnays that Tony Bish makes at his Urban Winery in Napier. 17.5/20
2020 Te Mata Estate Chardonnay
RRP $21.99
EuroVintage
This fragrant Chardonnay is a fusion of traditional and modern winemaking techniques, including whole bunch pressing, barrel fermentation and barrel maturation. These all add the creamy notes that are supported by malolactic fermentation. On the fruit side, the nose and palate provide notes of lemon, white peach and toasted cashews, which all linger on the juicy finish of this flavoursome dry white. 17.5/20
2020 Mission Gaia Project Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay
RRP $22
Mission Estate
This Chardonnay is my favourite of the new Gaia range from Mission Estate, which was launched in 2021. It’s made with grapes grown on 20-year-old vines in Hawke’s Bay, and the juice was inoculated with aromatic yeasts to accentuate fragrant fruit-forward aromas and the citrusy, refreshing flavours in this creamy, textured wine. It was fermented and aged in French oak for 10 months. 17.5/20
2020 Paritua Stone Paddock Chardonnay
RRP $22.99
Mineral
Stone Paddock is from Hawke’s Bay winery Paritua and the range offers outstanding wines at super-affordable prices, such as this full-bodied, dry Chardonnay made in a lightly-oaked style. Ripe tropical fruit and peach aromas combine with grapefruit notes and the hint of oak, which adds complexity in taste and texture. 18.5/20
2020 Clearview White Caps Chardonnay
RRP $23.99
Clearview Estate
Winemakers Tim Turvey and Matt Kirby are fans of the big, buttery Chardonnay style, which comes through with bells on in this evocatively-named Hawke’s Bay wine. It’s big on body with rich, buttery flavours and a lingering finish. Great value for money. 18.5/20
2020 Esk Valley Artisanal Chardonnay
RRP $24.99
Villa Maria
An outstanding new addition to the well-known and much loved Esk Valley stable. This elegant wine has all the big, buttery Chardonnay notes, combined with rich, nutty flavours and strong creamy appeal from 50% malolactic fermentation, with lees stirring to accentuate and lift aromas. 18.5/20
2019 Trinity Hill White Label Chardonnay
RRP $24.99
Lion
Trinity Hill winemaker Damien Fischer blends Chardonnay grapes grown in five different sub regions of Hawke’s Bay to make this fresh, dry, full-bodied, crisp and creamy wine. Citrus aromas and buttery notes give immediate appeal to the nose, with a full body and ripe stonefruit flavours adding depth and length. 17.5/20
2019 Neudorf Tiritiri Chardonnay
RRP $27.99
EuroVintage
Moutere clay soils are home to the flavoursome grapes grown on three different sites that go into this lively South Island Chardonnay. They combine to create a smooth, silky wine with zesty bright, juicy acidity that adds freshness to the rich, creamy aromas and smooth texture. A great white from one of the country’s leading Chardonnay producers. 18.5/20
2020 Whitehaven Marlborough Chardonnay
RRP $27.99
Whitehaven Wines
Winemaker Peter Jackson makes this delicious Marlborough Chardonnay in the mould of a far more expensive wine. He blends grapes from a wide range of sites to gain complexity, with dialled-up malolactic fermentation balancing the nervy freshness of drive and acidity. This lively Chardonnay overdelivers massively on the quality-price ratio. 18.5/20
2020 The King’s Bastard Chardonnay
RRP $28.99
Marisco
Winemaker Brent Marris makes this wine to highlight the ‘other’ great white from Marlborough. The beautifully refined elegance of this Chardonnay shines through in its dry, full-bodied style thanks to zesty, citrusy acidity adding depth, nerve and length to every richly flavoursome sip. 18.5/20
2020 Mission Reserve Chardonnay
RRP $29
Mission Estate
Hawke’s Bay’s oldest winery makes this great Chardonnay from two vineyards: Ohiti Road and its Taradale home block. The wine is creamy, full-bodied and smooth, thanks to 10 months of maturation in French oak. It’s a stunning new vintage from a well-established brand. 18.5/20
2020 Nga Waka Chardonnay
RRP $29.99
Hancocks
A big white wine from a small wine region. This full-bodied, intensely smooth and textural Chardonnay is made by Roger Parkinson, one of the first six winemakers in Martinborough and a dab hand at making dry white wines. Fresh citrus aromas of lemon juice and grapefruit zest are balanced by creamy notes, succulent zingy acidity, a full body and a long, refreshing finish. 18.5/20
RRP $30 - $39.99
2021 Wairau River Reserve Chardonnay
RRP $30
Federal Merchants
Hand-picked grapes grown on stony soils in Marlborough were fermented and aged for 11 months in French oak barrels for this wine. Its great fruit concentration is supported by complex aromas of vanilla and hints of cedar. Balance comes from bright citrus zest, which provides fresh acidity and great length to every succulent sip of this dry, full-bodied Chardonnay.
18.5/20
2020 Mount Edward Central Otago Chardonnay
RRP $31.99
Mineral
This is one of Central Otago’s great whites from Mount Edward Wines, which is based in the Gibbston Valley but sources grapes from several sub regions in Otago. It’s a full-bodied, bone-dry Chardonnay that is creamy and super concentrated with flavours of ripe grapefruit and lemon curd, zingy acidity, a nervy freshness and flavours that linger long after the last sip. Native yeast fermentation and full malolactic fermentation sit in harmony in this beautifully balanced, affordably priced Chardonnay. 19/20
2019 Astrolabe Marlborough Chardonnay
RRP $32
Astrolabe
Marlborough winemaker Simon Waghorn loves Chardonnay and felt an affinity with it long before he began the Astrolabe brand 25 years ago. He brings this passion and his decades of winemaking experience to bear in this accessibly priced dry Chardonnay, which is a blend of grapes from four different sub regions: the lower Wairau Valley, the Wrekin Vineyard, the Southern Valleys and the Windmill Block in the cooler, windier Awatere Valley. Wild yeast fermentation, lees ageing in 500 litre French oak puncheons and bright citrus flavours all build complexity and body into this lovely, satisfying Chardonnay. 18.5/20
2020 Craggy Range Gimblett Chardonnay
RRP $34.99
Vintners
Craggy Range makes a trio of high-hitting Chardonnays – this subtle little number overdelivers with its rounded, fleshy body and pristine ripe stonefruit flavours of white peach and nectarine. A complex, weighty wine that puts Hawke’s Bay’s best white wine foot forward. 18.5/20
2020 Nautilus Marlborough Chardonnay
RRP $34.99
Negociants
Nautilus Chardonnay is one of Marlborough’s most age-worthy white wines and a delicious drink right now, thanks to superlative winemaking by Clive Jones. He produces small volumes of this concentrated, powerful wine with its nutty flavours and complex notes of spice, cream, hints of caramel and smooth texture. Drinks beautifully now and has great ability to age, for up to 10 years.
18.5/20
2020 Te Kano Life Series Chardonnay
RRP $34.99
Te Kano Estate
A dry, rich and creamy Chardonnay made from a blend of grapes grown on Te Kano’s Estate vineyards at Bannockburn and Northburn in Central Otago. This wine has a complex, creamy texture and savoury flavours. Barrel fermentation with extended lees stirring enhances its depth of flavour, freshness and textural full body.
17.5/20 2020 Tony Bish Heartwood Chardonnay
RRP $34.99
Tony Bish Wines
A beautiful expression of Chardonnay from its full body and creamy, smooth, dry flavours to its complex nutty notes. Winemaker Tony Bish makes this wine from hand-picked grapes grown in the Upper Dartmoor Valley and at Bay View, north of Napier. Fermentation was nearly all in barrel with 5% in a new French oak ovum. The wine was aged for 12 months in Taransaud oak, 25% new, with regular lees stirring to enhance the creamy flavours in this big, bold, beautifully balanced Chardonnay. 19/20
2020 Carrick Organic Chardonnay Bannockburn
RRP $36
EuroVintage
Here’s a Chardonnay with intensity and power. It’s made from Mendoza clone Chardonnay grapes (also known as ‘hen and chicken’ because the bunches are characterised by small and large grapes), which add balance, richness and concentration. Fermentation with wild yeasts and French oak ageing for 14 months adds body and weight with just 15% new oak, a relatively small portion that allows the bright acidity in this wine to shine in every juicy, lingering sip.
18.5/20
RRP $40 - $49.99
2020 Palliser Estate Chardonnay
RRP $42.99
Negociants
Hand-picked grapes and wild yeast ferment accentuate the oatmeal and savoury flavours in this full-bodied Chardonnay and support the fresh nectarine and peach aromas. Its textural mouthfeel highlights barrel ferment characters of creaminess and zingy acidity adds flow with energy, concentration and a rounded core carrying to a long, creamy, nutty finish. 18.5/20
2020 Te Mata Estate Elston Chardonnay
RRP $42.99
EuroVintage
This dry, weighty, citrusy and creamy smooth Chardonnay is a great wine to enjoy now and to keep for the long haul, in optimal cellar conditions. Elston is Te Mata Estate’s top Chardonnay and has a full body with aromas of cream, hazelnuts and almonds leading into a rich, citrusy, textural dry white wine. Elston takes its name from the ancestral home of Charles Darwin, Elston Hall, in Nottinghamshire in the United Kingdom. 18.5/20
2020 Clearview Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay was named Champion Wine of the Show at the New Zealand International Wine Show 2021.
2020 Clearview Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay
RRP $44.99
Clearview Estate
This reserve Chardonnay is a rich, fullflavoured style with creamy, buttery notes to the fore and a full body adding to its crowd-pleasing appeal. If you love big buttery styles of Chardonnay, look no further than this tasty drop from the long established Clearview on the coast at Te Awanga. It was named Champion Wine of the Show at the NZ International Wine Show 2021. 18.5/20
2019 Astrolabe The Farm Chardonnay
RRP $45
Astrolabe
Creamy, full-bodied, dry and smooth thanks to dry-farmed, low-cropped, hand-picked grapes grown on old vines. Full malolactic adds a creamy texture and subtle hints of buttery taste, which are enhanced by spicy notes due to maturation for 10 months in French oak puncheons. The result is outstanding.
18.5/20 2019 Astrolabe Wrekin Vineyard Chardonnay
RRP $45
Astrolabe
This great Chardonnay comes from one of Marlborough’s greatest hillside vineyards, which is in the process of organic certification with BioGro NZ. It’s an elegant wine with huge creamy flavours balanced by great acidity. This youthful wine drinks well now and can age for the medium- to long-term. 18.5/20
2020 Felton Road Bannockurn Chardonnay
RRP $45
Felton Road
Winemaker Blair Walter has an unwavering focus on the great classic Chardonnays of the world. This plays a key role in his thinking when producing this outstandingly well-balanced wine, which rocks with a full body, savoury oatmeal aromas and creamy texture. Hand-picked grapes were whole bunch pressed with the juice put in barrel for indigenous yeast fermentation in French oak and less than 10% new oak used. This provides depth and smoothness without overt wood influence. The wine spent 11 months in oak, softening the acidity and adding roundness to this impressive full-bodied white. 18.5/20
2019 Novum Marlborough Chardonnay
RRP $46.99
Mineral
A new and relatively small-scale wine brand from Marlborough winemaker William Hoare, who brings traditional winemaking philosophy to bear in this beautiful, full-bodied, smooth and satisfyingly complex Chardonnay. Novum is a great wine for now and much later; a keeper in a good wine cellar. 19/20
2020 Lime Hill Wairarapa Chardonnay
RRP $46.99
Lime Hill
An outstanding full-bodied, crisp and silky Chardonnay made from a small lime-clay hillside vineyard on the road to Castlepoint in a remote corner of the Wairarapa. This wine is creamy and smooth with zesty acidity adding nerve and drive to every succulent sip. 19/20
2019 Pegasus Bay Chardonnay
RRP $47.99
EuroVintage
This is one of the South Island’s most powerful, full-bodied, dry and rewardingly complex Chardonnays with its flavours of ripe citrus, honeydew melon and peach. Flinty notes add complexity, which comes from both cool climate high acidity and lees contact from ageing in the barrel. The flavours are elegant and focused with a lingering finish. 18.5/20
2019 Corofin Folium Chardonnay
RRP $49.99
Kemp Wine Merchants
An impeccable wine that highlights quality Marlborough Chardonnay with this Chablis-like dry white, made by Mike and Anna Paterson. The couple sources grapes from top-notch vineyards in the region, using organically certified vineyards wherever possible. This Chardonnay is made from a blend of clones 6, 5 and Mendoza, which has small and large grapes on each bunch, renowned for providing fresh acidity (small grapes) and fleshy appeal (the larger ones). 18.5/20
For distributor details see the Distributor Index on page 80.
RRP $50 and above
2016 Giesen Clayvin Chardonnay
RRP $55.99
Giesen Group
A great Chardonnay from a great vineyard. Clayvin is certified organic and on a hillside in Marlborough, where elevation provides intense sunshine and cool temperatures at night to retain acidity in the grapes grown there. This is a complex Chardonnay aged on lees in 1,000 litre German Fuder barrels, which provide excellent contact with yeast lees as Chardonnay ages. This develops distinct fresh bread aromas, which marry beautifully with stonefruit, subtle nuttiness and honeyed aromas. Lively acid is balanced with distinct minerality and citrus flavours on the palate. 18.5/20
2020 Felton Road Block 2
RRP $62
Felton Road
This is one of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays from the country’s bestknown Pinot Noir region. That makes sense, given that these two great grapes have the same traditional home of Burgundy, France. This wine has commanding aromas of lemon zest and ripe white peach, and complex creamy flavours supported by a long, refreshing finish. Made in small volumes, this is a great white that shines a new light on what New Zealand Chardonnay can be.
19/20 2019 Pegasus Bay Virtuoso Chardonnay
RRP $65
EuroVintage
For a full-bodied, complex Chardonnay that’s made only in the best years and as a selection of the best barrels, Pegasus Bay’s Virtuoso sure does make its mark on the memory. All grapes in this wine were hand-picked in stages, gently pressed and fermented in French oak puncheons with a relatively high percentage (40%) of new oak. This supports the hedonistic, weighty structure of the bold, creamy wine with its flavours of caramel, cedar and roasted stonefruit, intertwined with subtle, spicy taste explosions on the lingering, succulent finish. This is an outstanding Chardonnay from a great winemaking team. 19/20
2019 Tony Bish Zen Chardonnay
RRP $139.99
Tony Bish Wines
This vintage of Zen is the best yet with its full-bodied, creamy, complex new world take on one of the great classic wines of the world. Winemaker Tony Bish uses grapes from the highly rated Skeetfield Vineyard in Hawke’s Bay and ages the wine in a Taransaud oak ovum, a large egg-shaped fermentation vessel, which adds weight and density with a full-bodied, savoury edge and a smooth mouth feel. This is one of the highest priced and undoubtedly one of the highest quality Chardonnays in New Zealand. 19.5/20
