This Chardonnay from Charles Wiffen is one of our most popular and has a very loyal and devoted fan base. From year to year it is stylistically consistent – rich and full with concentrated fruit, honeyed oak, a touch of nuttiness, and a long creamy finish. It just drinks so well.
The wine is made by James Rowan at the West Brook winery in Waimauku in West Auckland. In return, West Brook are able to access a supply of the top quality Wiffen fruit for their own label. It’s an arrangement that has served both parties extremely well for several years, as the Marlborough-fruited wines under both brands have been awarded many gold medals and trophies. James thinks it important that the Charles Wiffen wines express their Marlborough heritage and terroir so the fruit for the Wiffen bottlings is handled extra sensitively to ensure that provenance prevails over the winemakers’ hands.
Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"This wine has aromas of nectarine, fig, almond meal and hints of vanillin. Ten months in a mix of new and seasoned French Oak barriques gives a balanced and elegant palate with a soft and lingering, nutty and seductive finish."