It's hard to believe 1994 was more than 30 years ago. That year I drove to Bannockburn to help my friends Steve and Barbara plant their Cairnmuir Road Vineyard that later became Carrick.
While other grapes went in, the majority was given over to the burgundian varieties pinot noir and chardonnay. Pinot noir had already begun to show real potential and the feeling was chardonnay should also do well in the region.
Fruit from the first harvests was sold to existing wineries, and when Steve and Barbara’s debut 2000 vintage hit the market they joined a tiny pool of Central chardonnay producers. Off the top of my head I can remember Gibbston Valley, Felton Road, Mt Difficulty, Chard Farm, Kawarau Estate and Hay’s Lake (which became Rockburn); perhaps there were more?
A lot of early plantings in the district were of Clone UCD 6, a Davis clone well regarded for its regular cropping; also some clone MVIG 1, both of which are now regarded as more suitable for sparkling production.
Along with UCD 15, that clonal mix led to wines that friends in wine-tasting circles at the time always felt needed bottle age to show their best and were less expressive in their youth than bolder wines from Hawke’s Bay or Gisborne.
While Central chardonnays sold well in the early 2000s, I suspect it was largely due to the small volumes available, and felt that the variety never really gained a lot of traction. The ascendancy of pinot noir played no small part in this with the first Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration taking pace in 2000, while more marketing and promotional activity focused on the increasing buzz around pinot noir. While better and better chardonnays were being crafted, it seemed news of them was drowned out by the radio traffic surrounding pinot noir.
Fast forward to today, and while Central pinot noir has established itself as a world-class wine, chardonnay is beginning to get a lot more attention.
Availability of better chardonnay clonal material such as B 95, B 548 and Mendoza is leading to wines with greater depth, complexity and expressiveness, while the wealth of experience winemakers now have with this variety in Central conditions gives them a better idea of how to deftly guide the grapes into bottle.
I’m not particularly sensitive to oak, but it feels like there is less oak influence today, and a desire to let the fruit shine rather than stamp a winemaker imprint.
Finding Central chardonnay is becoming easier, but with only 105ha in the ground it remains just under 5% of the total vineyard area in Central; dwarfed by the nearly 82% devoted to pinot noir.
My head count of producers in the early 2000s struggled to reach 10. I stopped counting when I reached 25 current producers, with many more out there.
The 2025 vintage may see a hiccup in volumes as the late frost in November 2024 hit the earlier budding chardonnay hard in some places: thankfully, some areas came through relatively unscathed while staggered release dates across producers should see a steady supply.
If you haven’t dabbled in Central chardonnay, now is the time.
2023 Rockburn Central Otago Chardonnay
Price: RRP $32
Rating: Excellent
Inviting nose, nutty aspects, nectarine/stone fruits, lime zest, minerality, with time a little bran biscuit.
In the mouth counterplay between creamy richness and texture, contrasted by fresh acidity and vibrancy.
Citrus zest, nutty elements on the close, Good structure, grip and flavour depth. With air it tightens a little, showing its youthful side, should go on to blossom.
2022 Moko Hills Bendigo Chardonnay
Price: RRP $59
Rating: Outstanding
A sense of volume, nut and caramel nuances, orange zest, white peach, fine, engaging, fig later.
Carries those characters on to the palate, youthfully expressed, fresh, real energy and life to it.
A slow burner, developing lovely texture as it evolves in the glass, all balance and elegance, closing with fresh orange zest.
Great structure, wonderful length, depth without heaviness. Super.
2024 Nanny Goat Central Otago Chardonnay
Price: RRP $44
Rating: Excellent to Outstanding
Nose initially hints at red apple and fruit sherbet freshness, moves neatly to cashew nut, lanolin and stonefruits.
Bright, inviting palate, stonefruits and citrus lead the charge, backed by sherbet and nuttiness.
A hint of fatness to the texture yet remains light on its feet, developing a hint of spiced cream on the close. Drinking so well off the bat, a wee belter.
2022 Carrick Cairnmuir Terraces
EBM Organic Chardonnay
Price: RRP $53
Rating: Excellent to Outstanding
Exudes richness on the nose, clotted cream, spices, light oak seasoning, fruit tucked neatly in support.
Bursting with flavour, ripe peach, tropical fruit, walnut, spices, mouthfilling yet delightful vibrancy too.
Some good grip adding to the textural impact, excellent integration and palate intensity, flowing to a long finish. Lots to take in and works really well.
