A Central Otago wine, under the label that if you asked someone if they knew of Ayrburn, their response would probably be the excellent, and large scale, hospitality precinct on the outskirts of Arrowtown. (see my review from when it opened here – https://winefolio.co.nz/?p=10068). I have also reviewed some of the previous wines here on WineFolio. The new release samples arrived with a note from ‘The Ayrburn Team’ including Sophie Parker-Thomson as wine consultant.
A pale golden-green colour in the glass. You know it is Chardonnay on the first sniff – aromas of pear, nectarine, lemon, grapefruit, cashew nut, nougat and apple crumble on the nose. Quite rich and boisterous, with notable concentration and fruit density. There is still some finesse here though – with a fine balance of salty acid, toasty oak and peppery spiciness through the mid-palate. A clean precision develops, as that initial fleshiness drops a bit at the back of the pallet, leaving room for a crisp finish with super length. Much improved from my last encounter. 93pts
