Matahiwi Holly South Series Wairarapa Chardonnay 2019 $24 
Matahiwi means ‘raised ridge’ in Maori, and it’s named for the landform on Paierua Road where the vineyard and winery are located. ‘Holly’ is a wine that I eagerly anticipate every year because it indicates a step up from Matahiwi’s normal chardonnay (and they’re always pretty impressive anyway). The ‘South Series’ is slightly different in that it means the chardonnay fruit comes from the Wairarapa, rather from the more northern Hawke’s Bay. This wine is darn lovely. Grapefruit, ripe peach, lemon and roast apricot characters saturate the nose and palate buoyed by vibrant acidity and a solid seam of toasty oak. Delicious!
