A magnum of one of my favourite Chardonnays – I’d been keeping it for a meal worthy of it – and opened this weekend after twelve years careful hoarding. A delicious nose of flinty, smoky reductivity, juicy peach, straw, grapefruit, lemon curd, cashew and toasted oak. Structured and balanced well, with a core of vibrant acidity, rich oak, with a measured ripeness of those citrus and stonefruit flavours – the focus on the fruit, not a hugely textural wine. This is always a wine of concentration and power, but beyond the energy and intensity there is a clarity and finesse that shows wonderfully on the long, drying finish. 96pts
On an evening with wines such as aged Grand Cru Pinot Gris from Alsace, great Central Otago Pinot, Trophy-winning Chardonnay, plus fine wines from Sauternes, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barossa – this was perhaps the stand-out wine for many. A benchmark kiwi Chardonnay.
