• Spicy oak
• California peach
• Roasted chestnut
• Balanced acidity

"Flagship chardonnay that is a blend of grapes from the Terraces Vineyard (59%) and Tuki Tuki Vineyard. Intense, weighty chardonnay with peach, citrus, roasted chestnut, struck-flint and spicy oak flavours. A bold, complex wine with obvious cellaring potential" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Dec 2021

"After a few minutes in glass to allow the wine to relax the aromas and perfumes begin to unfurl revealing a wine of concentration and complexity. Scents of ripe citrus and fresh California peach, quince and vanilla, yoghurt, apple and barrel spice. There’s a lees, mineral and gun-flint combination that emerges layering in complexity and detail. The core of fruit remains central to the bouquet. On the palate - very youthful with plenty of energy, warm and generous with a coarse-silk texture contrasted by palate weight, stone and citrus fruit flavours from peach to tangerine, grapefruit and baked apple, reflecting the bouquet with a noticeable acid line and fine tannin mouthfeel.  There’s no mistaking the oak layer, but this is judiciously used and will soften into the wine as it ages and develops. A delicious wine reflecting an excellent vintage. Best drinking from late 2022 through 2030" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Apr 2022

"This is the pinnacle of Church Road's Hawke's Bay Chardonnays – as its price conveys. The classy 2020 vintage (5*), grown entirely in the Tuki Tuki Valley, is the second to include fruit (59 per cent of the blend) from the company's Terraces Vineyard, sited further inland than its Tuki Tuki Vineyard (41 per cent). Hand-picked, it was fermented and matured for 11 months on its full yeast lees in French oak barriques (19 per cent new). Bright, light yellow/green, it is highly fragrant, weighty and deep, with vibrant, concentrated citrus and stone-fruit flavours, gently seasoned with oak, balanced acidity, and notable delicacy, complexity and structure. A wine of great finesse, it should flourish for a decade" Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper Buyers Guide, Jan 2022

"Dedicated to Tom McDonald, Patriarch of Church Road and pioneer of Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tom is only made in exceptional vintages. Simply put, these are our best wines. No effort is spared. They represent the culmination of the collective experience and understanding of our team past and present, applied to some of the best parcels of winegrowing land in Hawke’s Bay" Chris Scott, Winemaker