Today’s selection well and truly upholds that standard, with thrilling examples from Central Otago, North Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay all strutting their stuff. It’s not really a question of them competing against one another, rather that as a whole, they are raising the bar for Chardonnay lovers across New Zealand.
Note: The $88 price listed for the Dunedin Craft Distillers Dry Gin in last week’s column is actually for the 750ml bottle. The 500ml bottle depicted is $72.
2022 Maude Mt Maude Wanaka Chardonnay
Rating Excellent
Lovely nose of ripe
peach, flint, lanolin, a light
measure of refined oak.
Creamy texture, rich &
ripe yet light on its feet.
Touches of caramel &
toast, a wisp of melon
appears on the close.
A chewy, grainy feel
adds to the texture,
while a vein of acidity
keeps this fresh.
Already open with
lots to enjoy, yet a
stunning 2014
enjoyed recently
speaks of the
potential.
2022 Craggy Range Kidnappers Chardonnay
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Subtle yet attractively
expressed, white peach,
clotted cream, citrus zest, a
minerally nuance. The
palate is racy & vibrant,
adding mandarin,
Chablis like sea-shell
notes and salinity,
coolness with a
wonderful carry. Poise
and precision, tautness
to this with its core of
acidity. Energy,
vibrancy, finer-boned
yet with deceptive depth
& complexity.
2021 Domain Road Defiance Bannockburn Chardonnay
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Delightfully perfumed nose,
a twist of lemon peel,
stonefruits, a touch of
nutty, butterscotchy oak
pops its head over the
parapet. Rather beguiling,
depth of flavour,
stonefruits building,
grilled nuts, wisps of
toffee, the acidity
lending an
attractive sweet ‘n’ sour
quality to the close with
a structural backbone
evident. Tingly, vibrant,
gets the juices flowing.
2020 Pegasus Bay Chardonnay
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Powerful nose with
struck match, hints of
funk, tropical fruits,
spice, citrus, drawing
you back for more.
Evident richness, yet the
palate is dry and tightly
structured, the flavour
intensity and power
the flesh on its
bones. This is a
‘bigger’ Chardonnay,
but with integration,
poise and a sense of
refreshment. So
much enjoyment
now, potential too.
2022 Maude Central Otago Chardonnay
Rating Excellent
Subtlety, cashew nut,
sea-shell salinity, white
peach, spice &
woodsmoke with time,
fine, elegant. The palate
continues the flavour
journey, a minerally,
chalky/fruit pithy
nuance adding to the
texture, nuttiness
and a tangy
counterpoint framing
the close. This
swells nicely with
aeration, fruit
building, retaining
lovely drive & energy.
2022 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard HB Chardonnay
Rating Very Good to Excellent
No mistaking the
Chardonnay profile with its
peach, tropical fruits, spice
& butterscotch, bonfire
embers with time,
subtlety. This hits the
elegance button,
medium-weight yet not
at all underpowered as
the depth of flavour
creeps up on you. A
tangy quality gives this
zest, picks up an anise
accent too, finesse and
already open for
business.
