Here’s one from the cellar, that it is definitely time to take a look at, for research purposes. When I was down in Hawke’s Bay in May I dropped in to see Kate, and she showed me all the Chardonnays, with this one drinking particularly well (although the new ’21 was a stand-out).
A pale golden green in the glass, with a rich aromatic nose of citrus, stonefruit and apple blossom floral. Grapefruit, lemon curd, toasted almond, nectarine, green olive and a crusty sourdough element on the nose. Still tight and concentrated, but loosening a little now and with a wave of focussed acidity giving pure line through the palate. An elegant balance sits in the middle of this wine, with generous fruit, some well-integrated spicy oak, and a mealy, lees-influenced texture underpins it all. So well-crafted and complex, with layers of interest – but overall just a delicious, more-ish glass of Chardonnay. An understated gem, and probably worth another couple of years development. 96pts
