The excellent 2019 harvest in Hawke’s Bay produced top quality fruit from the Riverview vineyard – one of our top vineyards with a rich history of Chardonnays being created over the years.
A note prior to publishing – I first tried this wine shortly after release, and like a few of the ‘19s that were shown at the time, it didn’t quite have that star quality that either we’d expected from the lauded 2019 vintage, or, in this case, that I’ve come to expect from the high standards of previous versions of the Elspeth Chardonnays from Mills Reef. Fortunately I could try the wine again recently, and with relief I’m happy to see that the early chaos of the young wine have departed and developed into a focussed, personality-packed wine.
Lush and filled with yuzu, grapefruit, apricot, peach and spring floral aromas on the nose, with just a touch of yeasty, flinty struck-match complexity. Finesse, energy and poise. Structured and elegant as the palate opens out to show more stone fruits, tropical and a wealth of nutmeg, ginger and cardamom spices.
Acidity is crisp, balanced and lends a lovely drive to the mid-palate as those layers of interest emerge. The oak is toasty and already well integrated – warm, nutty with a marzipan, nougat sweetness – appealing rather than distracting. A rich, lingering finish, showing real character and class. 95pts.
