A wine using fruit from Hawke’s Bay, made by this label based in Waikato, on the banks of Lake Karapiro – and around the time of this wine being entered into shows, won the “New Zealand producer of the year” at the prestigious IWSC awards in 2017 & 2018. A brilliant gold colour in the glass. The bouquet is unctuous, with peach, lemon, pineapple, golden apple and quince. Even on the nose, the oak is heroic – with vanilla, brioche toast and nutmeg notes – and 100% new oak back then. However, the palate swallows it up, so what seems so forward on the nose, is just a seasoning as you taste. Broad, generous and in a specific style – this will have both fans, and not. Butterscotch and white pepper appear mid-palate, and there is enough freshness from the acidity to keep this on track, and not too blowsy. 94pts
Takapoto Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2015
