Radburnd Cellars Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 $85 
Gorgeously golden in the glass, this debut chardonnay from legendary winemaker Kate Radburnd is crafted from old-vine, Mendoza-clone fruit sourced from two vineyards in two different sub-regions. The Bridge Pa fruit adds weight and minerality, while the Mangatahi fruit injects classic stonefruit succulence and structure. Handpicked, hand-sorted, whole-bunch pressed and then fermented with a combo of wild and cultured yeast in new and seasoned (older) French oak barrels, and all that morphs into a melange of creamy, nutty, freshly complex citrus, layers of buttered crumpet and caramelised spices. It’s a deliciously elegant example and I love it!
