Think you’ve tasted every kind of chardonnay? Well this’ll have you scratching your head while nodding at the same time. This wine is called NADA because of what it doesn’t contain and that’s absolutely no preservatives (sulphites) or any other chemical additions were used by winemaker Andrew Fox in this chardonnay. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressed … Read More
Chardonnay
Pa Road Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 $14.99 (4 stars)
If you’re keen for a smoky, struck match, toasty, roasty chardonnay that’s redolent (did I just say ‘redolent’?) of grilled grapefruit, charred pineapple and all manner of caramelized complexity – then this is your poison. Darn yummy, and will appeal to old-school chardonnay lovers who love that nutty, creamy character on the finish. Widely available … Read More
Mad Dog Bay of Island’s Chardonnay 2014 $24 (3.5 stars)
Northland is New Zealand’s oldest yet youngest wine region. It was the place where Rev. Samuel Marsden first planted grapes back in 1819 and Dalmatian migrants planted the seeds of the modern industry in its gum fields. Chardonnay has a natural home here, especially this creamy, weighty, fleshy style. This is the last opportunity to … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Chardonnay 2015 $41 (5stars)
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
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