The latest vintage of a Hawke’s Bay wine that I signed up to receive ‘en primeur’ on its first release and have been reviewing, and drinking every year since. This one, I feel, falls somewhere between the 2020 and 2021 in style. Sealed under cork and a vivid yellow wax seal. A bright lemon-star colour in the glass. The bouquet is elegant, restrained but bursting with ripe citrus aromas. Lemon oil is the distinctive one, but merged with mandarin, pear, grapefruit pith, tarragon, nectarine and fennel. There’s a light toastiness and a touch of roast almond too, adding richness. The palate leads with a keen acidity, talc-like minerality, and plenty of plush fruit. A light rasp of phenolic and a mealy texture mean it isn’t overly polished (in a good way). There’s a tart salinity to the finish, that returns you to elegance – and good persistence. 95pts
Helio Chardonnay 2025
