ASKERNE CHARDONNAY 2022

Gold Medal – The National Wine Awards of Aotearoa New Zealand 2023
Cameron Douglas MS Top 12 Hawkes Bay Chardonnay Collection 2022

Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"Beautifully aromatic with sweet vanillan notes, delicate florals, scented oak spice and subtle creaminess.  Complimented with aromas of quince, honeysuckle, golden peach and tropical nuances.  The palate is juicy with grapefruit acidity, peach and nectarine flavours and a deliciously long finish.

The fruit for this wine is a blend of Mendoza (36%), Clone 15 (29%), Clone 95 (14%), Clone 548 (13%) and Clone 1066 (8%) grown on the sandy silt soils of the lower terrace of the Askerne vineyard. Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed, the juice was transferred to barrel for fermentation. The barrels were a mixture of both wild and inoculated ferments and completed 100% malolactic post ferment.  The wine was subsequently aged for 10 months with lees stirring to add volume and complexity. The final blend has a 25% new French oak component."

Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS, July 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Aromas of peach and vanilla, cashew and burnt butter, scents of some new then used barrel with a mix of baking spices and yoghurt. Plenty of weight, a satin texture, creaminess and power as the wine touches the palate. Flavours of baked apple and peach, vanilla and nut, moments of baking spices and stone. A well made wine, dry on the finish, moderate+ complexity with an even persistent flavour profile. Best drinking from late 2023 through 2029."

5 Stars & 93/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, May 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Gorgeously ripe and inviting, the bouquet shows golden peach, citrus peel, nougat and hazelnut aromas, leading to a flavoursome palate that's succulent and creamy. Generous and delectably appealing. At its best: now to 2027."

93/100 David Walker Bell, WineFoli.co.nz, July 2024 (2022 Vintage)
"A super varietal-typicity scent, with meyer lemon, nectarine, golden apple, cashew, butterscotch and pineapple. Youthful and fruit-forward, with an edge of acidity highlighting the vibrant stonefruit and citrus flavours. Vanilla and spice from some well-judged oak deepens the palate, and there is a silky texture that seems to expand the layers before a broad, expansive finish."

93/100 Jamie Goode, WineAnorak.com, August 2024 (2022 Vintage)
"This is a generous, rich style of Chardonnay with some peachy richness as well as tropical pineapple notes. This is all about generous fruit: rich and expressive with an easy melony richness on the palate. Generous and delicious, showing off the ripe fruit side of Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay."

4 Stars Michael Cooper (2022 Vintage)
"Already drinking well, the 2022 vintage was estate-grown, hand-picked, and fermented and matured for 10 months in oak casks (25 per cent new). Bright, light yellow/green, it is full-bodied, with strong, peachy, biscuity flavours, balanced acidity, a hint of butterscotch, and a well-rounded finish."

5 Stars & 18.5/20 (93) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, August 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Bright, even, pale yellow. This has a voluminous bouquet with stonefruit, citrus, nutty elements and spice aromas. Medium-full bodied, aromas of apricot, lemon peels and nectarine melded with delicate spice, pine nuts and a creamy layer. The wine is elegantly presented with generous flavours; fine-textured phenolics flow with lively acidity to a sustained finish. This amiable Chardonnay is generous with fruit and a fine acid line on a creamy and refined texture. Match with white fish and poultry over the next 3-4 years. A blend of Mendoza (36%), Clone 15 (29%), Clone 95 (14%), Clone 548 (13%) and Clone 1066 (8%), handpicked, whole bunch pressed, fermented in barrels, underwent full MLF, aged 10 months in oak, 25% new oak, less stirred. 13.5% alc."