A rare chance to taste across a decade of the Reserve Chardonnay from Clearview Estate – starting at 2011, through to the present. Also included was a special bottle of the 1999 vintage. As if this wasn’t enough abundance, our host, Gabor Sareczky has also included amongst the stellar line up of Reserve Chardonnays, several renditions of Clearview Estate Endeavour – their icon white wine. And it doesn’t end there, as he also opened every version of Tim Turvey’s label with daughter Katie – Topsy Turvey Chardonnay. And please don’t think that is it – because, look again – there are all three vintages of Helio Chardonnay – a wine that Clearview Estate winemaker Mat Kirby crafts with wife Sarah Little and colleague David Nash.
At some point during the creation of these wines some changes inevitably happen. Whilst one constant is owner and winemaker Tim Turvey – the Boss, Mat Kirby takes over the winemaker position from the end of 2014 and finishes those wines that appear under that vintage. From 2015 it is Mat who makes the wines (with Tim). Moving from 100% new oak in the early years to lower percentages as time passes – and a move up in barrel size to puncheons in many cases. Endeavour gets many, many months in 100% new oak, sometimes then being transferred to another new barrel, even. The Topsy Turvey wines are 100% new oak. The Helio brand is usually one-year-old barrels – all three of these wines were tasted together last year in May 2022, and the 2021 wine reviewed here – https://winefolio.co.nz/?p=5542.
I was fortunate to have a little time to preview all the wines and make tasting notes. The wines tasted are listed below, from oldest to youngest. It is of course of huge interest to see how the wines age – with the 2011 to 2013 Reserve wines sealed under cork, and then in screwcap from 2014. Endeavour, Topsy Turvey and Helio wines are always under cork, sealed with wax. Then we have the ultimate judgement on age – the 1999 being over a decade older than all the other wines. To look at wines back over a decade is one thing, but to then jump an extra decade back into the past is quite the opportunity to assess the ageability of this standard of New Zealand Chardonnay. A lot of the more recent vintages you’ll find already on the pages of WineFolio – but here are some notes on the first dozen bottles – the older ones…
1999 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under cork, and a good dozen years difference between this and the next oldest. The cork did split in two on removing, but wasn’t overly crumbly or fragile. Very golden in the glass, with matching aromatics of quince, ginger, hay, orange curd and golden peach. Big toasty oak and a phenolic bite of fruit tannin to the finish. I suspected this would fall over quite quickly, and returning to it two hours later it was too gingery and bitter – but those first few minutes it was not just alive but quite drinkable. 91pts (at first)
2011 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under cork. Surprisingly pale on opening, quite tight and bright with good acidity initially. Greengage and golden apple. Dry on the finish. Again, didn’t last the night though – went quite a deeper shade on getting some oxygen. 92pts
2012 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under cork. A green, herbal edge to the nose, with grapefruit and lemon curd. Dry, and juicy acidity, with a spice and savoury green olive element to the mid-palate, and a raspy, pithy note on the finish. 92pts
2013 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under cork. A pale straw colour in the glass, with slight green flashes at the edges. More oak is noticeable on the nose, with citrus, stonefruit, baking spice and tarragon. Led by acidity and again a savoury, preserved lemon and fennel flavour runs through the palate. Dry, powerful finish. Very good. 95pts
2013 Clearview Estate Endeavour Chardonnay – sealed under cork. Although a brooding, huge wine, it does have a prettiness to the aromatics of crushed herbs and lemon blossom florals. Heroic oak, and just more of everything. Some phenolic grip, a nibble of tannin, but lovely ripe, unctuous fruit. Also a graphite minerality that the Reserves haven’t shown, so far. A lovely, well-aged complex wine. The flavours have blended so seamlessly, and bless that monster oak – it is a factor, but just riding a tightrope of balance. A lot going on here. 96pts
2014 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under screwcap. A classic. Cashew nut, lemon rind, grapefruit marmalade on the nose. Generous but with a line of saline acidity. Here, now is that minerality – sharp, piercing and boisterous. Succulence of fruit keeps that in check though, and there’s plenty of nutty oak here too. A fine balance, but it pulls it off. Intense, complex and with great energy. 96pts
2015 Clearview Estate Endeavour Chardonnay – sealed under cork. At first a little too OTT? Golden colour and perfume, with apricot, seville marmalade, pineapple, nectarine and hazelnut on the nose. The acidity is quite agile, with a drive of saline crispness – cuts through that plush middle and texture to prevent cloying, and gives good clarity. Juicy, sumptuous and quite enjoyable – for one glass! 94pts
2016 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under screwcap. Vibrant and delicious, although with fairly restrained aromatics. Brimming with fruit – ripe nectarine, pear, zesty citrus and a roasted macadamia nut. A busy rush of tart acidity, some great concentration and well-measured oak influences form a spine here, leading to a rich, dry finish. 94pts
2017 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under screwcap. First response was Wow! A voluminous perfume, white peach, lemon curd and orange zest interwoven with biscuit and nougat. Focused, restrained and with an integrated palate that seems so balanced and elegant. The lovely use of oak – generous and toasty – adds depth and complexity. A mealy richness to the texture. The most complete wine so far. 97pts
2018 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay – sealed under screwcap. The first time that it seems like a step downwards in the Reserve wines. The struck-match, flinty, reductivity on the nose seems a little clumsy and hard, masking the fruit somewhat. A silvery spine, quite firm and minerally, but a breezy acidity gives plenty of drive through the palate that does have plenty of juicy fruit. 91pts
2018 Topsy Turvey Chardonnay – sealed under cork. Peach, apricot, caramel and cashew aromas. Generous and concentrated on the palate – the fruit is impressive – tropical melon, passionfruit and pineapple. Seasoned with a fair dab of oak (2 and a bit years in 100% new French oak) flavour – but already just a background accent in the wine. A statement, signature wine from Tim Turvey. 96pts
2018 Clearview Estate Endeavour Chardonnay – sealed under cork. Caramel, with bright citrus, coconut, vanilla and popcorn on the nose. Super concentration and juicy fruit that serves to offset the big oak and balance the palate. Like the ’15, this is still quite massive, and unashamedly so. Has a buttery, sensual fullness in the texture and finish. 95pts
After these, we’re into some more familiar territory, with the run of Helio vintages from 2019 to 2021; the NZIWS Champion wine – 2019 Clearview Estate Beachhead Chardonnay – what a wine for the price! Plus the 2019 Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay that a few people in the room consider to be the best in the flight, and perhaps the best Reserve Chardonnay that Clearview have made to date (that’s a hard call!). As you’ll see there was also some more lauded vintages of Topsy Turvey, and a couple of magnums of later vintages of the Reserve – the 2020 vintage that repeated the success of the Beachhead and was the Champion Wine of the NZIWS in 2021.
You’ll find reviews and mentions of these wines throughout the WineFolio site – just search for Clearview, Topsy or Helio. I see a lot of Chardonnay in any year – reviewing, judging and just enjoying what is probably my favourite varietal. From the scores you’ll see I’m giving, I guess it’s no secret that I think these are amongst the best wines in the country. The ageability seems to cap at about 8-10 years. The 2017, at five years, is just brilliant. The 2014 is almost as good – with a little more age and complexity, but losing an edge on brightness and vivacity perhaps? After that, the wines are still very, very good, with the Endeavour being, in my opinion, the best of the wines that start to head into decade of bottle age. The 1999 was a collectors piece, and showed that anything is possible if cellared well (and a good wine to begin with). I wish everyone could have tasted it as it was opened and had that quite startling for it’s age, brightness and richness – before it went lemming-like over the cliff.
Once again, thanks to all concerned – and a mention to the team at Crave Café in Morningside that was the venue for the tasting. Their separate space upstairs easily copes with over twenty people and the catering was excellent.
Hi David. I’ve just opened a 2013 reserve Chardonnay of Mr Turveys which is really holding its age