Čuvar Guardians Series Rivermere Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021

January 29, 2024By Yvonne

Čuvar Guardians Series Rivermere Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $44-$64 If great chardonnay is your jam then best you go out and buy a loaf and get buttering! This Hugh Crichton-honed new release is stacked with creamy, baked peachy goodness, a lick of grapefruit and perky popcorn-laced aromas and it bursts with citrus and softly … Read More

Zephyr Organic Marlborough Chardonnay 2022

December 23, 2023By Yvonne

Zephyr Organic Marlborough Chardonnay 2022 $32 I’m loving the smorgasbord of aromas that leap nostrilward from the glass whenever I pour this new chardonnay from winemaker Ben Glover. Butter and spice-drizzled popcorn sprinkled atop grapefruit and peach sorbet and served inside an oak bowl. And all that good stuff saturates through to the palate and … Read More

Omata Estate Russell Chardonnay 2022

December 18, 2023By Yvonne

Omata Estate Russell Chardonnay 2022 $48 Gorgeously golden in the glass, this Bay of Islands-grown chardonnay gushes with creamy-dreamy cashew, grilled grapefruit, baked peach and popcorn aromas which all osmose across to the palate. Buttery and softly smoky, it’s a generously juicy style with hints of bacon to finish. Lovers of classic, creamy, bold chardonnay … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Puketapu Chardonnay 2022

November 25, 2023By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay Puketapu 2022 $35 Sourced from the Puketapu (sacred hill) subregion of Hawke’s Bay inland west of Napier, winemaker Guillaume Thomas has opted to create a creamy, barrel-fermented, 12-month barrel-aged style that will please anyone partial to a twang of buttered toast in their glass. Grilled stonefruit, a splash of creamed … Read More

Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022

November 25, 2023By Yvonne

Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022 $22 Pronounced nectarine and lemon notes on the nose lead to a palate awash with stonefruit and preserved lemon layers wrapped around a sawdusty, toasty core. If ‘fatness’ to you means ‘creaminess’ then that’s not what you’ll receive, but if you’re a fan of toasty, spicy … Read More

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2019

November 9, 2023By Yvonne

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2019 $33-$43 Gorgeously golden in the glass and glowing with cashew and grilled peach aromas, this chardonnay has a beautifully edgy energy to it. Named after the deserted relics of the goldmining era dotted around Central Otago’s river valleys, this wine washes gold across the nose and palate. … Read More

Riverby Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2021

November 9, 2023By Yvonne

Riverby Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2021 $28 Deeply golden in the glass and groaning with toasty, roasty, peachy goodness in the glass. Classic baked apple, grilled citrus and stonefruit notes wash across the nose and palate, hints of pineapple wrap around a core of caramelised oak to create a super-fresh impression. Bright, energetic and a joy … Read More

Montana M Gisborne Chardonnay 2022

November 8, 2023By Yvonne

Montana M Gisborne Chardonnay 2022 $16 Bright, peachy, boosted with buttered toast and showing fresh, nutty notes and a lick of pineapple on the finish. A crowd-pleaser for sure. Weddings? check. Parties? check. Anything? check! Widely Available

Blackenbrook Family Reserve Nelson Chardonnay 2020

November 8, 2023By Yvonne

Blackenbrook Family Reserve Nelson Chardonnay 2020 $49 As a fan of creamy complexity, I leapt up, down, and sideways for this new release from one of our favourite Nelsonian producers. Creamy coconut, almond, and nectarine niceness abound in this smooth, soothing chardonnay. It’s a style that’s also toasty, calm, assured, and groovy enough to get … Read More

On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2021

November 5, 2023By Yvonne

On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2021 $45 I tasted bottle number 1143 of 1578 produced Superb chardonnay here from an exciting Martinborough producer. Its highly refined nose is crammed with baked nectarine and charred pineapple characters and it totally twins where taste is concerned. Youthfully zingy textures help its stylish, stonefruit flavours race around the … Read More