Karikari Estate Calypso Chardonnay 2013 $29 ★★★★ This little cracker from the far north is a new favourite because it hit the right cinnamon, struck match and smoke notes needed to cloak the underlying roast pineapple and peach flavours on the palate. It’s robust enough to nicely pair with anything resembling a roast chook or … Read More
Chardonnay
Sam Hunt Gisborne Chardonnay 2013
Sam Hunt Gisborne Chardonnay 2013 $21.95 ★★★★ There’s a subtle, creamy lift on the nose, while waves of green nectarine and grapefruit wash across the palate with every sip, which is nice considering there are lines from Hunt’s poem Wavesong printed on the bottle. Just a tweak of toasty oak adds to the experience and … Read More
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2013
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2013 $30 ★★★★ Fans of big, buxom, oaky chardonnay will love this California girl. Creamy, mango and spicy peach-driven aromas lead to a flood of fig, dried pineapple and cinnamon-buttered toast flavours. Soft, coconut characters round out the finish. Make sure there’s a corkscrew in the house when you snap this … Read More
Decades of Dogs…
Last week I wrote about everything being better in two’s and how fun it is to taste two different vintages of the same wine side by side to pick out the differences. Well if the team at Dog Point in Marlborough didn’t just decide to dial that idea up by 500% and open up ten … Read More
Richmond Plains Nelson Chardonnay 2011
Richmond Plains Nelson Chardonnay 2011 $19 ★★★½ This smells like a peach cupcake with grapefruit icing, it’s seriously tangy and tropical with lovely concentration and a seam of toasty oak to wrap up the finish. Delicious with pan-seared scallops topped with toasted almonds. www.richmondplains.co.nz
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2010
CRAGGY RANGE GIMBLETT GRAVELS CHARDONNAY 2010, $34 Drool-inducing aromas of grapefruit pith, ripe peach and buttered crumpets slathered in honey. It’s succulent and juicy with tropical tones and nicely balanced, gently-managed toasty oak to counter the fruit sweetness. Crisp and tangy, it’s a real treat and worth every cent. www.craggyrange.com
Riverby Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2010
Riverby Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2010 $25 A really nice, nectarine-laden chardonnay with attractive stonefruit, grapefruit pith and toasty flavours to top off a lovely, lean, textural mouthfeel. Just the thing for a bowl of salt and pepper squid. www.riverbyestate.com
Tresillian Single Vineyard Akaroa Chardonnay 2009
Tresillian Single Vineyard Akaroa Chardonnay 2009 $23 This is a superb Canterbury chardonnay chock-full of melon, mango and peach notes on the nose all followed by an explosively fresh burst of tropical and citrus flavours in the mouth. Clean, long and linear, it’s a lovely drink indeed. Buy from www.tresillian.co.nz Tresillian Single Vineyard Akaroa Chardonnay
Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2010
Lovers of the Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2010 $35 will also be pleased to know that Buck believes “in all modesty, the 2010 Elston is probably the best version we’ve ever done”. 2010 was a sensational year for Hawke’s Bay chardonnay and I’ve got to agree with John, this wine is unbelievably gorgeous. Fresh, crisp and crunchy … Read More
Cloudy Bay Marlborough Chardonnay 2008
Cloudy Bay Marlborough Chardonnay 2008 $35 Golden and glossy, this wine boasts layers of white peach, tangelo and grapefruit pith aromas which are so enticing it’s quite tricky actually wrenching your nose away so you can actually put it in your mouth! But it’s worth it because this chardonnay has succulent stonefruit and creamy, nutty, … Read More