An older version of a wine that was a big discovery for me in 2020. From Bendigo in Central Otago, a bright, lemon-green colour in the glass. Elegant and fresh, with aromas of white peach, satsuma, olive, cashew and buttered brioche. Dry, medium bodied and with a balance between crisp acidity, ripe fruit and a framing of toasty oak. Nectarine and red apple, nougat and vanilla, sweetcorn and preserved lemon. This was one of the expressions that started me down the path of finding a mineral thread in Central Chardonnays, and this one, with five years under its belt, is a prime example. With an oyster shell and saline minerality underpinning all the other good things present, this wine just oozes class. The finish is excellent, long and with a sweet/savoury… ying/yang tightrope to tread. 95pts.
Quartz Reef Chardonnay 2016
