A wine from the Waitaki Valley in North Otago. The colour is a pale green, with flashes of lemon yellow as you swirl. So youthful and energy-packed, the scent is complex and intriguing, combining citrus and tropical fruits with savoury elements that are stony, smoky and spicy. It may take a while for the tightly wound acidity showing now to unfurl, but even in this nascent stage it provides keen drive and length through the palate. Dry, fresh and precise; building minute by minute in the glass. Balanced between crystalline salinity and a softer, textural embrace that also offers warmer tones of oatmeal, nutmeg and vanilla. The potential here is immense – try to hide this in your cellar for a few years to allow development. For now, 94pts
Valli Waitaki Valley Chardonnay 2023
