HAWKES BAY
Prices shown are approximate New Zealand retail. Wines available in export markets are shown as (A) Australia, (UK) and (US).
Winestate’s New Zealand editor is author of the internationally acclaimed Wine Atlas of New Zealand and the annual New Zealand Wines: Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide. In the 2004 New Year Honours, Michael was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to wine writing.
CHARDONNAY
27 TASTED
27 RECOMMENDED
A stunning line-up of youthful wines, all from the warm, humid 2018 season or warm and notably dry 2019 vintage. Weighty, rich, ripe and complex, with obvious cellaring potential, many of the wines are high-priced, but the tasting also uncovered some impressive, great value chardonnays in the $20 price category.
Askerne The Archer Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018 ★★★★★
This powerful, youthful wine was fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak barrels (45% new). Bright, light yellow/green, with a fragrant, slightly smoky bouquet, it is sturdy, with highly concentrated, peachy, citrusy flavours, complex, savoury, rich and long. Best drinking 2022+. $50
Black Barn Vineyards Barrel Fermented Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2019 ★★★★★
This classy, youthful wine was hand harvested at Havelock North and in the Tuki Tuki Valley and fermented and matured for 11 months in oak barrels (20% new). Bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant and mouthfilling, with strong peach and grapefruit flavours, mealy and biscuity notes adding complexity, and a finely poised, lasting finish. Best drinking 2022+. $39
Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Tuki Tuki Chardonnay 2018 ★★★★★
Already very expressive, this pale gold wine was handpicked and fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak casks (21% new). Fragrant, with a distinct whiff of ‘struck match’, it is highly concentrated, with fresh acidity, lively stonefruit flavours, balanced toasty oak and impressive complexity. Best drinking 2022+. $70
Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2019 ★★★★★
Still very youthful, this powerful wine was grown mostly in the Tuki Tuki Valley and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels (30% new). Fragrant, with a complex, slightly smoky bouquet, it has rich, vigorous, stonefruit and toasty oak flavours, threaded with fresh acidity, and a lasting finish. Best drinking mid-2022+. $40 (A)
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018 ★★★★★
Full of potential, this single vineyard wine was hand harvested at Bay View and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak barriques (40% new). Concentrated, vigorous and youthful, with a slightly smoky bouquet, it has concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours and a tightly structured, dry, long finish. Open 2022+. $50
Radburnd Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018 ★★★★★
This classy, youthful wine was grown at two sites, in Mangatahi and Bridge Pa, and fermented and matured for nine months in French oak puncheons and barriques (partly new). Bright, light yellow/green, with a fragrant, mealy bouquet, it is mouthfilling, savoury and complex, with highly concentrated, citrusy, peachy flavours, seasoned with biscuity oak, fresh acidity and a very harmonious, long finish. Best drinking 2022+. $85
Tony Bish Skeetfield Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2018 ★★★★★
From mature vines at Ohiti, this hand-picked, single-vineyard wine was fermented and matured for a year in French oak barriques (60% new) and eggshaped, French oak ovums. Pale gold, it is highly fragrant, mouthfilling, rich and savoury, with concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours, toasty oak adding complexity, fresh acidity, a real sense of youthful power and vigour, and a lasting finish. Best drinking 2022+. $60 (A, UK)
Vidal Legacy Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2019 ★★★★★
Still extremely youthful, this wine was hand-harvested in the Keltern and Kokako vineyards and fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques. Bright, light lemon/green, with a fragrant, smoky bouquet, it is weighty, vigorous and finely structured, with intense, well-ripened stonefruit flavours, biscuity, savoury notes adding complexity and a long, dry finish. Best drinking 2023+. $60 (A, UK)
Vidal Soler Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2019 ★★★★★
Very harmonious in its infancy, this refined wine was grown at
