Commercial description

With our Chardonnay we give a maceration of the whole bunches before pressing which increases the amount of grape solids in the juice to give greater intensity of varietal character and structure. Once fermentation is finished we add small amounts of sulphur at each topping to preserve the freshness and fruitfulness of the wine. We do not stir the lees or allow the wine to go through malolactic fermentation. 

Man O’ War Chardonnay exhibits intense ripe stone fruit characters with subtle hints passionfruit seed and a nutty lees influence.

“An even split of upper and lower Yarra fruit. Whole-bunched pressed and wild fermented in 15% new French puncheons. Around 5% mlf. A light, bright green gold. Pure fruited with an attractive nose of just ripened orchard and stone fruits, pink grapefruit and orange blossom. A hint of matchstick and just-baked ginger snaps. Concentrated and lithe at the same time, Giant Step’s calling card is just as good, if not better than the super 2021 release.” – Phillip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

“A blend of the individual vineyard releases – Sexton, Tarraford, Applejack, Primavera and Wombat Creek – with a little more input besides. It gets “the Rolls Royce treatment” and then it’s blended to become this. Grilled almonds and peaches with wet stones and runs of citrus. Beautiful (creamy) texture, flavour and composure. The elegance of this, the exotic wet stone notes, the smoky push on the finish. It’s all pretty much into wow territory. This is a gorgeous release, essence of chardonnay, scores schmores, buy and drink.” – Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front


Winemaking Notes: The Chardonnay grapes are chilled overnight before they are whole bunch pressed the following morning. The juice is immediately transferred into 500L French oak puncheons. 15% of the oak is new, while the remaining 85% is seasoned. The juice is fermented naturally using indigenous yeast over 10 days, finishing with lots of stirring at the end of ferment. Around 10% of the batches go through malolactic fermentation. The wines are then sulphured and kept on lees in barrel until October, when they are blended and bottled.

Hunter's Chardonnay offers incredibly good value for money. Complex, consistent and creamy, it has crisp notes that add great balance to such a modestly priced, affordable wine. 

Fermentation in 500 litre French oak puncheons with wild yeasts provides a smooth, full body to this impressive Chardonnay, which is made from grapes grown on three different vineyards in Marlborough.

Grapes in this wine were grown in Rapaura, Renwick and Omaka sub regions of Marlborough, all on vineyards that the Hunter's team has used for many years now. This wine is incredibly consistent in style with richly flavoursome citrus, nectarine and creamy flavour notes, supported by a firm backbone of acidity which adds drive, length and freshness to every succulent sip.

What the critics say

Aotearoa Regional Wine Competition, October 2021

4.5 stars – Winestate Magazine, October 2021

Gold, 94/100 – New World Wine Awards, August 2021

93/100 – The Shout, Cameron Douglas MS, March 2021

South Island Chardonnay is on a roll as this tasty drop from Mt Maude in Central Otago shows. Winemakers Sarah Kate and Dan Dineen use hand picked grapes from 27 years old vines to make this dry full bodied, creamy smooth wine. 

The grapes are foot stomped, basket pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged in seasoned French oak to produce what they describe as a seamless wine. We agree. 

Try it. 

A really lovely bouquet with enticing scents of pineapple and barrel spices, vanilla and clove then a creamed Brazil-nut and butter quality. A dry wine on the palate, full-bodied with a flinty reductive character then flavours of grapefruit and peach, clove and lots of texture. Fine tannins and medium+ acid line, plush, elegant and delicious. Best drinking from day of purchase through 2029.

95 Points

Oustanding

-Cam Douglas

From the winery...

Crafted from handpicked grapes sourced from the renowned Gimblett Gravels, this Chardonnay showcases both power and elegance. It offers layers of ripe stone fruit, zesty lemon curd, and subtle hints of roasted nuts. The complex palate is complemented by a delicate balance of creamy texture, oak undertones and bright acidity, resulting in a wine of depth, structure, and refined tension. Only four barrels were produced (50% of which were new). 

Region: Hawke’s Bay. 

Vintage: 2021. Percentage Alc: 14%

This wine offers a complex aroma of citrus, stonefruit, and spice characteristics. The palate has depth and intensity with mineral notes and a powerful finish with flavours of apricot and vanilla, balanced by a juicy acidity. A Chardonnay that shows richness alongside a tightly structured palate with layers of texture and pairs well with snapper, saffron, shellfish and other delicate flavours.

Made in extremely small quantities, the Land Series wines seek to highlight the very best from each of the unique subregions within our family of vineyards. 

This Chardonnay is a reflection of the unique terroir of our Waitaki site. 

Lifted aromatics with tropical fruit, citrus and white flowers. The palate is chalky, with balanced fresh acidity and concentrated flavours of toasted hazelnut, tropical fruits and toasted oak. 

Beautiful creamy new Chablis with a smooth body and lovely balance of crisp fresh citrus flavours - layers of lemon zest, creamy nutty aromas and ripe grapefruit all vie for attention in each lively sip of this dry white. Chablis is hot property for lovers of great Chardonnay and is also the name of one of the coolest climates in the wine world; the northernmost part of Burgundy in north east France. 

Chardonnay lovers will be all over this wine made from hand picked grapes grown on the Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay. Grapes were whole bunch pressed and
barrel fermented with wild yeasts, which provides rich depth of flavour and a smooth palate mouthfeel; Lees stirring enhances softness and builds structure and weight to this wine, which was aged for 11 months in barrel.

Crisp and creamy, full bodied and elegant, this wine has great complexity thanks to being made from 21 year old vines, which are now coming into their own - as this lovely refreshing dry white shows. This is the first Masters Chardonnay from winemaker Helen and her partner Ben Masters' vineyard, four kilometres south of Martinborough. 

It's a beautiful wine now and will continue to develop in flavour and age well for the next four to five years+.

Burgundy Chardonnay barrels were used for the maturation of this Speyside whisky. The result is a fresh, clean Speyside with noticeable Chardonnay notes of butter, citrus and vanilla. This is an excellent value whisky.