Fashions in wine come and go, and at present chardonnay is in the doldrums, while people pursue pinot gris or sauvignon blanc. However, I often think there's nothing quite as delicious as a good chardonnay rich with hints of butter nuts and toffee, but backed with lively, refreshing fruit, and a lingering aftertaste.
$18
For many years Mount Riley has consistently offered good value if anonymous wines, but recently they've told the stories of the people behind them, founder John Buchanan, his daughter Amy Murphy general manager, and her husband Matt Murphy, chief winemaker. This is fragrant with hints of tropical fruit backed by buttery hints of caramel and finishes with a reamy aftertaste.
Average value
Three stars (out of five)
BEST UNDER $20
$19
Tohu's wines always have a lovely expression of fruit and this is no exception. There's an underlying creaminess to the bright, refreshing, slightly peachy fruit, and a crisp, long ftertaste.
Average value
Three stars
$34
A typically rich Gisborne chardonnay, buttery and citrusy with hints of stonefruit, supported by judicious oak and finishing with a crisp aftertaste. At three years old it's drinking nicely, the ayers of flavours mellowed and integrated.
Average value
Four stars
$35
A rich, golden wine, mellow and mouthfilling with hints of toffee, golden syrup and tropical and citrus fruit, with buttery, nutty background notes and a crisp citrus bite on the finish. At wo years old this is drinking well now.
Average value
Four stars
$35
James Healey and Ivan Sutherland of Dog Point manage to combine the wonderful purity of fruit that Marlborough can produce and the intriguing complexities that make good chardonnay uch an exciting wine. This is fragrant with green spices and smoky, hints of melon, guava and grapefruit, with subtle undertones of buttery nuts and oak. It's textural, lively and refreshing delicious.
Good value
Five stars
$55
Larry McKenna, better known for his pinot noir, takes chardonnay to a new level in this finely textured, complex young wine. It's fragrant and slightly funky with tight fruit and an underlying inerality, understated oak and a long nutty finish. What makes it stand out is the restrained
fruit, fine-grained texture and dry, flintiness, more characteristic of fine European chardonnay than the fruit-driven New Zealand style.
Average value
Five stars
ANOTHER GLASS
Ti Point Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2009
$21
A zesty fragrant wine with hints of pineapple and creamy nuts nicely integrated.
Below average value
Three stars
Wild South Marlborough Chardonnay 2009
$19
A simple juicy chardonnay but with too much buttery, even cheesy flavours from the malolactic fermentation.
Below average value
Two stars
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2009
$30
A wine for those who love oaky chardonnays, this reeks of freshly sawn timber which obscures the undoubtedly rich fruit at present. It's young yet, and it may come into better balance with few more months in bottle. Meanwhile, oak lovers drink up.
Below average value
Three stars
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations. charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
Two stars - simple, clean, enjoyable wine; three stars - good wine with varietal characteristics; four stars - very good wine with some outstanding characteristics; five stars outstanding wine with balance and harmony that leaves you with a sense of wonder.
