This bottling is the top tier of white wines at this Te Awanga-based vineyard in Hawke’s Bay, only made in great years. Sealed under cork. A vibrant golden-yellow in the glass. Aromatics of nectarine, citrus, pineapple, crushed herbs, vanilla and lemon blossom florals. A brooding, huge wine, with heroic use of oak, and just more of everything. Some phenolic grip, a nibble of tannin, but lovely ripe, unctuous fruit. Also a graphite minerality that adds more interest amid some already characterful layers. A lovely, well-aged, complex wine. The flavours in this ten-year old 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. The finish is rich, but precise and lengthy. 96pts
Clearview Estate ‘Endeavour’ Chardonnay 2013
