A little while back I greatly enjoyed tasting my way through a raft of Central Otago chardonnays. Now we head to Waipara, Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. I still often hear people say they don’t drink chardonnay (sigh), and can’t help but feel they are missing out. I was chuffed then, when a friend was chatting about the wedding plans of his elder son and fiancée, who have chosen a chardonnay as their key white wine, citing its drinkability and how well it complements food. An excellent choice, Finn! 2020 Zephyr Organic Marlborough Chardonnay Price RRP $31.99 Rating Very good to excellent Leads with some struck match and smoky notes and , minerality. The fruit beginning to swell, nuts and a citrus aspect; a dry honey- like note with time. The palate revisits that stony minerality and nuttiness. The fruit is definitely there in a supporting role, and a touch of orange citrus zest adds a bittersweet quality with a hint of struck match reduction still evident. www.zephyrwine.com 2023 Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay Price RRP $45.99 Rating Excellent Gunflint, toasty oak nuances, nectarine, citrus zest, attractive fragrance building. The palate continues that journey, lovely balance, freshness to the fore, matched by good depth of flavour. Vibrant, zesty with that cooling citrus aspect framing the close as some nice chewiness comes into play. This grows nicely with aeration and is quite moreish. www.rapaurasprings.co.nz 2023 Tapi Marlborough Chardonnay Price RRP $33 Rating Very good to excellent Quince and melon notes, spice and smoke, rather than big, an engaging subtlety. That finer style resumes on the palate, creamy texture evolving to chalky phenolic hints which add to the textural interest. Good length. Initially feels a lighter style but air dispels that notion as both nose and palate swell, picking up oak and piquant greengage plum notes. www.akwines.net/tapi 2023 Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay Price RRP $55 Rating Outstanding Gunflint, bonfire embers, a schisty quality, citrus touches, spice hints, ripe fruit with neatly judged oak seasoning. Lovely complexity. Serious and refined, each sip reveals another layer. There are deft winemaker influences here but the wine comes across as effortless. Beautifully integrated and complex, the flavours hang in the mouth. Classy stuff. www.blankcanvaswines.com 2020 Pegasus Bay Virtuoso Chardonnay Price RRP $67 Rating Excellent Signature powerful struck match and bonfire embers lead, parting to reveal ripe peach, spices and honeyed brioche, grilled nuts later. Undoubted power, intensity and creaminess once it sheds some of those reductive notes, picking up orange zest, toffee and spice. Tasted over several hours, the palate was superb later in the day, so perhaps decant and let it breathe. www.pegasusbay.com 2023 Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 23.09.24 Price RRP $24.99 Rating Very good to excellent Distinctively chardonnay, with notes of peach, apricot, spice and warm brioche. The palate shows a lighter touch, not quite as expressive as the nose, adding a tinge of salinity. The texture carries this nicely with a cooling influence. Easy drinkability and hits the refreshment factor. www.trinityhill.com
