Champion Wine of the 2011 Air New Zealand Wine Awards was the Villa Maria
Keltern Chardonnay 2010. Almost unbelievably this wine has been awarded champion wine of the show for FOUR shows in a row. As far as I know this is unprecedented in New Zealand. The closest I am aware of is the Vidal Reserve Merlot Cabernet 1990 which won three shows in a row in the early 1990s. The standard of New Zealand wine has improved vastly in the last 20 years which makes the Keltern's achievement even more remarkable.
That said the Keltern Chardonnay is not just a ‘show’ wine, gussied up with oak
and alcohol. It has power and elegance, the alcohol clocks in around 13.5% and the
oak, while evident is not obtrusive. It is a superb representation of fine Hawke’s
Bay Chardonnay and has a great life ahead of it. It is thoroughly recommended. Congratulations to the Villa Maria team.