Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2019 $29
Returning to his dry-style roots not seen since 2013, winemaker Gordon Russell has taken fruit for the first time from Ian and Linda Quinn’s Two Terraces Vineyard located west of Hastings in Maraekakaho where they grow two clones of chenin, 220 and 880. Handpicked, cooled overnight and gently pressed to French oak demi-muids (600ltr) and tanks for wild yeast ferments. Left of lees for 10 months, with regular stirring to encourage extra richness and complexity in the Esk Valley ‘way’ for white wines like this. I love the yellow fruit notes, golden delicious apple, quince, pear, yellow plum and its creamy, honeyed core. The acidity is ultra-fresh, yet the overall texture is one of fatness and volume and deep satisfaction.
