Brand new release of Tiki’s flagship Chardonnay and it’s already got the wine critics grinning.  5 Stars all round, watch out Chardonnay fans this one’s going to go large. Crafted by Hawkes Bay Chardonnay aficionado, winemaker, Evan Ward, and only available in limited quantities - make a purchase snappy, this wine will make you very happy!

"Moderately deep light golden-yellow colour, slightly paler on the rim. This has a tightly concentrated and intensely penetrating nose of white stnefruits and citrus fruits entwined with complex gunflinty reduction, along with background creamy barrel-ferment and MLF elements, unfolding a layering of toasty oak. Medium-full bodied, the palate is elegantly concentrated and tightly packed with flavours of citrus and white stonefruits, interwoven with gunflint reductive complexities, unfolding nutty and toasty oak. The palate has a fine-textured, firm core, lending a dry linearity, balanced by fresh, lacy acidity. The wine carries to a very long, lingering finish of citrus fruit, gunflint and toasty oak. Match with grilled and roasted seafood, poultry and pork over the next 3-4 years. Hawke’s Bay Mendoza clone fruit, hand-picked and fully barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 11 months on lees in 70% new French oak barriques, the wine undergoing batonnage and partial MLF. Winemaker: Evan Ward." Raymond Chan, Sept 2016

"Impressively complex and inviting, the bouquet shows ripe stone fruit, rockmelon, lemon peel, nougat and vanilla character with a touch of cedar notes. It is concentrated and beautifully weighted on the palate, delivering gorgeous fruit intensity together with stylish oak infusion, leading to an extremely long, expansive finish. At its best: now to 2019." Sam Kim Wine Orbit, Sept 2016

"South Island-based Tiki obtained Hawke’s Bay grower fruit to produce this exciting addition to its top-tier KORO range. The aromatics are fab – honeysuckle mingling with flinty, smoky notes. In the mouth, there is textural richness and genuine length. A wine with presence and harmony" Cuisine Magazine, NZ Chardonnay tasting, 2017

Exhibits a very strong combination of Mendoza Chardonnay fruit, complex toasty oak and yeast lees along with subtle malolactic fermentation aromas. A full-flavoured wine with varietal flavours supported by a fullness and creaminess derived from extended time on yeast lees in barrel.  Partial malolactic fermentation has helped to soften the wine while still retaining a firm backbone of acidity to enhance ageing potential and freshness on the palate.

The fruit was handharvested at optimum ripeness and transported quickly to the winery.  It was then whole-bunch pressed using a Champagne cycle with no press cuts. Pressing was followed by cold settling to clarify the juice.  The clear juice was fermented in 70 percent new French Oak barriques with a selection of Chardonnay yeast and then went through a partial malolactic fermentation to add complexity to the palate.  After ferment, the wine was aged for eleven months on yeast lees with fortnightly stirring to encourage extraction of yeast mannoproteins to aid with palate weight and roundness.

Food Pairing: Perfect with seafood with rich cream-based sauces or roast chicken. For a speciality cheese match try Parmesan, Aged Cheddar or Aged Gouda.