Hit the smorgasbord and fill your boots with toasty, roasty, buttery, wuttery chardonnays from across the land…
Obsidian Reserve Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2017 $48
The stylish, chablis-like elegance of this wine made it an absolute showstopper for me. I love the purity of fruit, intense citrus and minerality on the mid-palate, its peachy backbone and the dusting of subtle nutty notes on the finish. It’s a beautifully balanced example that will leave you shaking your head in a state of yumness. Grown in mineralised clay soils rich in iron and manganese oxides over ancient weathered rock.
Sip with: chicken and leek pie.
www.obsidian.co.nz
Le Pont Gisborne Chardonnay 2016 $36
Old school chardonnay fans ahoy! Named in Tribute to the pioneering Irwin family who bought the first Mendoza clone chardonnay to Gisborne in the 1970’s, they went on to found a French restaurant called Le Pont. A combination of French and American oak barrels has injected a smoked vanilla note into the baked citrus and stonefruit, caramelised coconutty notes and adds complexity to the marathon-like length of flavour.
www.povertybaywine.co.nz
Vavasour Anna’s Vineyard Awatere Valley Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 $42
Stu Marfell was only 9 years old when he helped harvest the very first vintage for Vavasour back in 1989. 29 harvests later, he’s their head winemaker and this, their flagship chardonnay, is his baby. Only made in years when the fruit is exceptional, this creamy, barrel-fermented blend of Mendoza and Clone 95 fruit sings with roast stonefruit, nutty oak notes, a squeak of preserved lemon and has juicy vibrant acidity. It’s a distinguished, deliciously structured chardonnay.
Sip with: creamy chicken cannelloni.
www.liquormart.co.nz
