A Chardonnay from the Reed Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley – Marlborough, hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Pale straw-green in the glass, with a struck-match reductivity that quickly ebbs to a perfume of grapefruit, lemon peel, hazelnut, tarragon, white pepper, nectarine and candied pineapple. Complex, with great concentration and coltish energy. Plenty of oak influence, but it is balanced nicely with lush fruit tannin and sweetness, and carried on a pulse of bright acidity. Savoury notes also develop, contrasting the ripeness with a mealy, pithyness. The finish is lengthy and dry. 94pts
Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
