Brightwater Vineyards Nelson Chardonnay 2020 $27 Lifted and lemony on the nose, this elegantly styled new release from one of our long-time WineFriend loves, is edged with roast cashews and nougat niceness. There’s a lick of smoke, an edge of grilled nectarine and a lush, peachy palate. Great late afternoon sip. Brightwater Vineyards
Chardonnay
Butterworth Martinborough Chardonnay 2020
Butterworth Martinborough Chardonnay 2020 ($48) Crammed with roast cashew, grilled peach and creamy nougat notes on the nose and palate, this refreshing new release from fruit grown on the Te Muna Terraces is dangerously drinkable and will absolutely appeal to chardonnay lovers of all ages and stages. It’s a full, rich,toasty triumph with buckets of … Read More
The Hunting Lodge Expressions Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
The Hunting Lodge Expressions Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $23 Paired with: Frittata muffins Canvas Drinks matches Sept 11th 2021 Now I know Annabel says these frittata muffins are a great way to get veg into kids, but they’re also a great way to get the Hunting Lodge Expressions Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 ($23.99) into grownups. … Read More
Greystone Erin’s Reserve Waipara Valley Chardonnay 2019
Greystone Erin’s Reserve Waipara Valley Chardonnay 2019 $120 The 2018 vintage of this wine absolutely sent me sideways with joy (see here) so I was understandably fizzing to taste the new release and also nervous as heck to see if stylistically it kept to its direction or if it was a different beast. What is … Read More
Main Divide North Canterbury Chardonnay 2020
Main Divide North Canterbury Chardonnay 2020 $20 Paired with: Roasted cauliflower and Mushroom Risotto with Walnuts and Soft Cheese in dish Magazine Issue 99 It’s the lift of toasty, smoky, nuttiness in the Main Divide North Canterbury Chardonnay 2020 that makes it absolutely roar with the roast cauliflower and walnut flavours in this risotto, while … Read More
Black Estate Home North Canterbury Chardonnay 2020
Black Estate Home North Canterbury Chardonnay 2020 $55 Bright, glossy and golden in the glass, this chardonnay is scented with gunflint, apple, green nectarine and caramelised oak, with a vein of citrus and toast roaring through onto the palate. It’s youthful, frisky and zesty on the palate with a core of spiced peach and buckets … Read More
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2019
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2019 $30 Wow! Crafted from fruit grown in the Omaka Valley, a chardonnay hotspot, this new release from the folk at Rapaura Springs heaves with buttery cinnamon toast terrificness, peachy complexity, a core of cashew-dusted citrus and lush, plush textures all the way through to the finish. It’s a … Read More
Zaria Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
Zaria Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $30 Beautifully balanced and straight out the gate with soft grapefruity, apricot-edged loveliness, creamy, caramelised oak, perfumed with white peach and unveiling perfectly poised acidity on the finish. It’s so elegant and stylishly structured. Crafted by Bryce Edmonds, a winemaker with volcanic talent, this chardonnay is a darn lovely thing. … Read More
Neck of the Woods Central Otago Chardonnay 2019
Neck of the Woods Central Otago Chardonnay 2019 $25 Created as a nod to the ‘poster boy of plants’ — the famous naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (had to make doubly sure I’d typed ‘naturalist’ and not ‘naturist,’ as that could have been a tad awkward) — this new vintage carries the Neck of the Woods … Read More
Collaboration Wines Aurulent Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Collaboration Wines Aurulent Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $36 Ever had that feeling, like when you’re watching a young sportsperson make a showstopping debut, or an underdog artist give the performance of a lifetime, that you’re witnessing history happen and they’re about to become seriously famous? That’s how I felt as soon as I sipped this … Read More