When Alwyn Corban
and Garry Glazebrook entered into a partnership in 1981 to create one of
Hawke’s Bay modern boutique wineries, little did they know it would blossom
into one of the significant and cornerstone operations that make Hawke’s Bay
arguably the friendliest wine region in the country to visit. Not only are you assured of a hospitable
welcome and experience at Ngatarawa, but the wines are extremely accessible and
enjoyable, adding to the immediate good feelings. The Ngatarawa Chardonnays are the wines that
are prime examples of approachability that Alwyn and his winemaker Peter Gough
achieve, making Ngatarawa a favourite destination. In a sense, Chardonnay has been Alwyn and
Ngatarawa’s specialty, Alwyn focusing on the variety when training at UC
Davis. Chardonnay constituted over 4.0
hectares of the original 10.9 ha planted when Ngatarawa was established, and
this was the largest planting in Hawke’s Bay at the time. As they say, the rest is history. We offer two Ngatarawa Chardonnays from the
excellent 2007 vintage, beautiful and friendly drinking, right now:
Ngatarawa
‘Glazebrook’ Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2007
Named after the founding partners of Ngatarawa,
the Glazebrook family, who have been established and expert farmers of the
Bridge Pa Triangle region. This is
brilliant straw yellow with golden hues to the colour, and it possesses a
complex nose with an amalgam of yellow stonefruits, nuts and minerals. It is very much in the modern style, being
stylish rather than broad. Elegant on
palate, there is an underlying power and cut, the acidity providing
freshness. The citrus and nutty flavour
base is developing real interest that will make it an all-round food wine. There is a pleasing dryness to the wine, so
refreshing in these days of Chardonnay ‘enhanced’ by some residual sugar. This has none. There is a similarity to good white burgundy. Made from clone 15 Chardonnay with a small
amount of 7-10 y.o. Mendoza included, this was made with 15% of the must given
a ‘hot’ ferment up to 24°C, the wine was totally barrel fermented to 13.5% alc,
then aged 11 months in 15% new French barriques, 6% of the wine undergoing MLF.
Ngatarawa
‘Alwyn’ Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2007
This is Ngatarawa’s flagship Chardonnay,
consistently made since 1998, but only in the very best vintages, and then,
only in small quantities. They are seen
as the epitome of the style that Alwyn and Peter Gough see Ngatarawa should
be. The fruit was sourced from two sites
in the Bridge Pa Triangle area, all clone 15, totally barrel-fermented, 15%
given a ‘hot’ ferment at 23°C to 14.0% alc, then aged 11 months in 40% new
French barriques, none of the wine undergoing MLF. The wine is approaching its plateau of
maturity, though showing a straw yellow colour with only light golden hues. Full and voluminous on bouquet, this opens
immediately revealing ripe yellow stonefruit and tropical fruit aromas combined
with mealy, nutty and spicy elements, all intermingling and integrated. The palate is full-flavoured and shows the
same complex amalgam as the nose, with a superb harmony and seamlessness. There is richness with restraint. While there is oak spice and alcohol warmth
noticeable, these components are woven into the depth and layering of the
wine. This is wonderful Chardonnay, with
no edges, drinking superbly now. It
should continue on its plateau for another 3-5 years. It will accompany the best, rich seafood,
poultry and pork dishes.