Philip Barber is a serious winemaking talent to watch if you’re a chardonnay fan. With the ability to source fruit grown in the seashell-strewn soils of Esk Valley, thrust upwards after the 1931 Napier earthquake, his wines show incredibly complex minerality, texture and even a hint of delicious salinity. I love the aromas of grilled stonefruit, grapefruit pith, caramelised fennel and spice. There’s a hint of bacon and pineapple which makes it old-school ‘excellent’ and new-school fresh and frisky. Balanced and beautiful.
