Chardonnay from New Zealand - Canterbury & Waipara
Review Date : 29-Mar-2022
Bright, pale straw-yellow with depth, even colour throughout. The nose is full and distinctive, aromas of struck-match, roasted hazelnut, brown butter leading, underlined stonefruit and apple. Full-bodied, creamy palate carries peaches, nectarines and grapefruit with a taut core, unfolding roasted chestnut, smoky barrel, brown butter and flint. The fruit formed a bright core, supported by concentration and excellent acidity. Smoky barrel details added deep layers and complexity. This rich, multi-layered Chardonnay shows power and abundance of vivid fruit across a lengthy, sustained finish. Match with roasted turkey with chestnut stuffing and nut loaf over the next 8+ years. Handpicked, foot-stomped, the non-clarified juice fermented in large French oak barrels, 70% old barrels, wild fermented to 13% alc, aged in puncheons on lees for 12 months, underwent MLF. 18.5+/20 pts (94 pts) Mar 2022 RRP $45
