Villa Maria Keltern Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2024 (Gift Box)

Description

Caramel, Oak, Peach

"An exceptional offering, this is exquisitely elegant and poised with nuances of ripe stone fruit, lemon pith, wet limestone, subtle vanilla, and biscotti. The palate exhibits outstanding concentration and depth, wonderfully complemented by a finely flowing mouthfeel and perfectly infused acidity. The wine has a great presence and structure with a glorious line and length. At its best: 2028 to 2039" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jan 2026

"Strong notes of struck match, roasted nuts and caramel popcorn are wrapped around the concentrated core of pear, peach and lemon. The combination of reduction and oak tannins is currently rather drying on the finish but the long carriage with citrus acidity provides every confidence that the wine will come around over the next decade of development and deliver a delicious glass of powerful, nutty chardonnay with time" Stephen Wong, Master of Wine, The Real Review, Jan 2026

"Delicately complex and pure fruited with a bouquet of fresh white peach and grapefruit, layers of mineral stone, a whisper of gun flint and white spice, judicious use of barrel with some baking spice complexities. Dry with a near full-bodied mouthfeel, nice acid line and length. Well made with best drinking from 2026 through 2029" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2025

The 2024 Keltern Chardonnay glistens in the glass with a bright lime-tinged hue. the nose offers aromas of zesty lime and grapefruit, mingling with spice and grilled nut characters. The palate is refreshing with succulent salty lemon and lime flavours complemented by a subtle warmth from the French oak. The fruit flavours are long and concentrated framed by a subtle saline note leading into a lingering finish from the natural acidity the vineyard provides. This wine will develop further complexity, mineral and toast-like characters with careful cellaring.

The Keltern Vineyard was established in 1999. Sitting east of Maraekakaho and hugging the western edge of the Bridge Pa Triangle and the Ngaruroro river, this unique site has over time become synonymous with exceptional Chardonnay, earning its place amongst New Zealand’s finest with an un-paralleled consistency in blind tasting success across multiple formats since the initial 2002 vintage.

Spring conditions in Hawkes Bay started off warm then cooled off through flowering which resulted in a small fruit set and low yielding vines. A very warm January saw the Chardonnay grapes ripen up nicely with great fruit intensity and more moderate temperatures in February helped preserve fresh acidity. The 2024 Chardonnay harvest was off to another early start with Keltern vineyard picking starting in earnest in the last week of February. Hand-harvesting of excellent quality fruit with a minimal intervention winemaking approach, allowed Keltern’s unique characteristics to shine.

Located east of the Maraekakaho region in Hawkes Bay, directly in the path of cool air currents flowing from a mountain range to the west, the Keltern Vineyard is an inland site, buffered by the Ngaruroro River. Established on an ancient riverbed planted in 1999, the vineyard has silt loams layered over red metals, including large free-draining gravel stones. The Keltern vineyard contains vines that range in age up to 21 years, mainly cl15, cl95 and cl548, and vines for the Single Vineyard bottling at maturity are pruned and thinned to one bunch per shoot to target 6-7T/Ha. The parcels used for the 2024 Keltern Chardonnay are both from clone UCD15 vines that are at least 12 years old.