If you can catch a whiff of struck match on your first sniff then welcome to the world of sulphide complexity, something I love o see a little bit of in my chardonnay. With smoked pineapple, grapefruit and grilled peach characters zigzagging across the palate and erupting on the finish – it’s a super stylish … Read More
Chardonnay
Black Estate Circuit Chardonnay 2016 $24 (4 stars)
If you’re looking for a chardonnay bursting with hazelnut, citrus and hints of toast and smoke then this is for you. North Canterbury has real talent for producing chardonnay that shows sensational minerality and combine that with a skilled winemaker who can create creamy, nutty notes in the palate spectrum – then you’ve got a … Read More
Brookfields Marshall Bank Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015
Golden like a yellow diamond and boasting a whoomph of toasty oak, grapefruit zest, ripe peach and pineapple tones on the nose and followed by an intense, citrus-driven mid-palate. Crisp, tangy and terrifically taut, Peter Robertson and his team have really crafted something special here because the finish just never does. Long and lipsmackingly refreshing … Read More
Squawking Magpie The Gravels Chardonnay
Squawking Magpie The Gravels Chardonnay 2015 $33.95 For starters I really love the slick new label design at play here, mysterious, brooding and very ‘magpie’. Here’s an incredibly ‘pure’ chardonnay that’s packed with tropical tang, so expect pineapple, nectarine and tangelo notes alongside honey-buttered cinnamon toast and creamy layers in the mid-palate. The acidity is … Read More
Nga Waka Martinborough Chardonnay 2015
Nga Waka Martinborough Chardonnay 2015 $30 ★★★½ It’s been an age since I’ve tasted Roger Parkinson’s chardonnays from his Nga Waka label, so it’s a great thing to get amongst his new releases. The 2015 estate is a tangy, linear yet altogether luscious wine that’s golden in the glass and offers creamy, spicy, roast peach … Read More
Baron’s and Potter The Countess Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014
Barons and Potter ‘The Countess’ Reserve HB Chardonnay 2014 $32 ★★★★ A brand new label produced for Hawke’s Bay’s Barons and Potter families by Hamish Jardine of Crab Farm, this is an ultra-tropical chardonnay showing hints of honey, spiced pineapple and peach crumble on the palate. There’s a hint of creaminess, but it’s the tang … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 $24 ★★★★½ I love the aroma of butterscotch, creamy peaches, buttered crumpets and on the palate expect exactly the same but followed by smooth, smoky notes, creamy citrus and gently tropical flavours that wash across a long, persistent finish. It’s a satisfying, old-school style. www.millsreef.co.nz
Brancott Estate Letter Series ‘O’ Marlborough Chardonnay 2014
Brancott Estate Letter Series ‘O’ Marlborough Chardonnay 2014 $34 ★★★★★ This wine smells like peach and almond crumble, caramelised citrus and has a delicious blend of spiciness and creaminess to add to its all-round yumminess. There’s a lovely roasty, toasty layer and a buttery injection on the finish. The ‘O’ stands for their Omaka vineyard. … Read More
Beach House ‘The Levels’ Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2014
Beach House ‘The Levels’ Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2014 $35 ★★★★★ Crafted from the ‘Stony Beach Gravels’ of the Te Awanga coastline, this is a stonkingly good chardonnay that oozes smoked grapefruit, roast peach, juicy stonefruit intensity all rugged up in a blanket of vanilla, buttered cinnamon toast and cashew characters. Fresh, funky and quite simply … Read More
Theory & Practice Gisborne Chardonnay 2014
Theory & Practice Gisborne Chardonnay 2014 $19.95 ★★★★ Crafted by Ant McKenzie, (wine consultant to the stars) and his viticulturist brother Bryce, this is a cracker of a chardonnay that’s jam-packed with juicy tropical fruit and grilled citrus notes alongside caramelised, toasty characters and edged with creamy, custard square pastry-like notes. Fresh and tangy. To … Read More