"A tangy, taut, trop-fest is about to hurl itself across your taste-buds.  Think pineapple, mango, a lick of lemon and a grapefruity kick brings the citrus into gear which holds all the flavours buoyant in the mouth.  A layer of toasted crumpet character indicates nicely managed oak and there’s a caramelised, cashew note on the finish.  Nicely made chardonnay and excellent value for money" Yvonne Lorkin, yvonnelorkin.com, June 2018

"It is nicely fruited and lifted on the nose showing golden peach, rockmelon, vanilla and toasted almond characters, leading to a elegantly weighted palate that is rounded and creamy. The wine offers friendly mouthfeel and juicy fruit flavours, leading to a smooth and supple finish. At its best: now to 2019" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, July 2018

The result is a complex chardonnay with citrus blossom, fresh toast and a hint of gun smoke on the nose. The palate is richly textured with flavours of peach, nectarine, lemon and toasty oak, leading to a long fresh finish.

2016 was another great vintage in Hawkes Bay with warm days and cool nights through the growing season, fantastic conditions for growing flavoursome grapes. The main components of this wine were sourced from our inland Kereru Road vineyard at Mangatahi, which consistently gives ripe fruit with small intensely flavoured berries. Smaller parcels from vineyards in Crownthorpe, Korokipo and Clive gave fleshiness and flavour diversity. The vines are trained to VSP and underwent intensive canopy management and fruit thinning to deliver beautifully ripe fruit.

The fruit was harvested and pressed directly into barrels, a small stainless steel tank and a concrete egg. The tank was inoculated with a select yeast to enhance varietal freshness and the barrels and the concrete egg fermented with indigenous yeasts to add complexity and structure. Post primary ferment, the wine remained on lees with regular stirring throughout the winter to build texture. A portion of the wine went through malolactic fermentation. After 7 months aging, the wine was blended, stabilised and prepared for bottling.

Food Pairing: Fantastic with Roast chicken with garlic and kale, or with grilled pork loin and creamy mushroom sauce.