Kin by Te Kano is a quintessential expression of Central Otago Chardonnay. Made with sustainably farmed grapes from our Estate vineyards, Kin references the family ownership and Kowhai regeneration project that stand at the heart of our philosophy and provides an easy-drinking and delicious introduction into the Te Kano range.

PURE, FRESH & TEXTURAL BARREL AGED CHARDONNAY

Bright, light yellow/green, it is mouth filling and vibrant with hints of stonefruit and citrus. Creamy and textural with a refreshing dry mineral finish. Approachable and delicious.

Vintage
2023 was a challenging vintage for Hawke’s Bay. Intensive viticulture work was imperative throughout the growing season.  High rainfall, humidity, reduced sunshine hours and Cyclone Gabrielle hitting the region early February was the icing on the cake.  A silver lining was the harvest was weeks behind a normal growing season which mean’t very slow ripening and high acids so grape maturity levels were behind when the cyclone hit. As the season unfolded and settled into autumn it was a very late pick for a lot of the varieties, in some respects a saving grace.

Vineyards
Kokako, Ohiti Valley and Ascot, Havelock North

Winemaking
90% Kokako Vineyard, Ohiti Valley 10%  Ascot Vineyard, Havelock North.  No SO2. Pressed to tank for cold settling overnight. Racked clean to barrel. Natural fermentation and malo-lactic fermentation to completion. Aged in matured French oak barrels on lees for 9 months.  Final Blend, barrel selection to taste.

pH 3.56 TA 7.0 g/L Alc 13.0 %v/v

Kumeu River Wines is New Zealand's top Chardonnay producer and best known globally. 

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay is the flagship white from the winery. It is made from  grapes grown on six different vineyard sites in Kumeu and is consistently one of New Zealand's greatest dry, full bodied whites with outstanding freshness and complexity.

The winery is in the West Auckland village of Kumeu where it began life as San Marino Wines in 1944 when Croatian immigrant couple, Mick and Katé Brajkovich, bought a small property with a vineyard on it. Their descendents now own and run Kumeu River Wines, which produces 250,000 bottles of wine annually from its owns 30 hectares of vineyards in Kumeu and from another 10 hectares, owned by local grape growers. 

Produced in the Maconnais region of Burgundy, Macon-Villages is vinified with no oak contact to retain the elegant aromas and clean, fresh character that this region is prized for. The vineyard soils have a high percentage of chalk and limestone which impart nuanced minerality.

GRAPES:
100% Chardonnay

TASTE:
This wine shows floral, apple and citrus aromas with fresh, clean flavours and mineral notes.

PAIRING:
Perfect as an aperitif or with shellfish, crab cakes or goat cheese.

DISTINCTION:
Clean and vibrant unoaked Chardonnay.

The Petit Chablis takes its roots in Portland soil which is essentially made up of limestone. This appellation is the fruitiest of the Chablis wines and results in a fresh and pleasurable wine.

Yellow colour with green reflection, lime notes, grapefruit, passion fruit.
A gourmet wine, energetic with good persistence to serve with oysters and seafood in general.

A floral Chardonnay that displays lanolin, flintiness and stone fruit aromas on the nose. The palate is creamily textured and full bodied with ripe nectarine-like fruit, underlying notes of toasted cashew nuts, sourdough bread and cinnamon quills - ending with a clean and crisp finish and a lovely persistent and savoury toastiness.

Luta 2021 Chardonnay from Echo vineyard in Weka Road, made from Clones 15, 95 & Mendoza grown in Moutere Clay soils.

The Grapes were whole bunch pressed & aged in 500L 5-7 year old oak puncheons on the lees for 10 months.

Lemon rind, Brioche & Yoghurt on the nose.

Lemon rind fruit up front into brioche & Oats on the midpalate then a delicate minerality into the finish.

A very elegant wine with great texture.

The Wrekin Chardonnay

WINEMAKING
The grapes were 100% hand-picked and gently whole bunch pressed. After settling in tank, the juice was racked and inoculated with yeasts from ‘ The Wrekin’ vineyard and then transferred to French barriques- no new oak. In spring, malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. The wine aged for 18 months on lees.


TASTING NOTES
On the nose a complex array of toasted nuts, lees and smokey tones overlay a pure stone fruit white peach with a citrus backbone. On the palate is crisp and pure. The vibrant acidity offers lively structure to the wine’s weight and texture. Citrus pith, stone fruit, and spice leave a long delicate finish.

This is a rich style of Chardonnay with the accent on strong fruit flavours. Ripe melon, nectarine and summer peach aromas abound with oak hints of cedar and spice and a long, full, yet soft finish. ideal matched with creamy pasta and white meat dishes. It is also delicious with seafood.

Vineyard
This Chardonnay is a mix of the Mendoza clone and Clone15 from the Bridge Pa and Crownthorpe areas in the Hawke’s Bay. Free-draining stony silty loams are the predominate soil type in this area. The crop was kept low and well exposed to ensure good even ripening and flavour development.

Winemaking
This Chardonnay was cool fermented with both aromatic and Burgundy style yeasts in barrels and stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation was completed, the wine was left for an extended period on yeast lees to promote textural qualities and mouthfeel. A portion of the wine went through Malolactic fermentation to soften acidity and add warm buttery notes.The wine exhibits pineapple and grapefruit flavours with a rich mealy texture.

Form Jules Taylor...

Chardonnay is one of the unsung heroes of Marlborough but also a wine that can divide the room! Jules’ take on this variety is a far cry from the big buttery Chardonnay-bombs from the 1990s. Instead Jules prefers a wine with delicate freshness and attractive fruit flavours that express the vineyards in which they were grown. With only 10% new oak and a partial malolactic ferment, this elegant wine that will convert even the most die-hard chardonnay-basher!

Matahiwi winery's South Series refers to wines made from its most southernmost vineyards; in the Wairarapa where cooler nights result in crisper wines. This full bodied Chardonnay is a great expression of those two factors, balanced by creamy mouth texture and a touch of hazelnut intermingled with oatmeal and other complex flavours. Stunning value too.