COOPERS CREEK SWAMP RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2019

This is an absolute brilliant price on Coopers Creek's top of the line Chardonnay. Originally sourced from Swamp Road it is now from Cooper's excellent Middle Road Vineyard next to the Limeworks in Havelock North so you get all that limestone derived focus, complexity and deliciousness. Being 100% barrel fermented and aged in 30% new oak it has plenty of body and oomph but still a nod towards elegance and restraint.

Winery notes (2019 Vintage)
"Year after year the fruit from this vineyard exhibits ripe lemon and grapefruit characters. This is interwoven with subtle oak and lees and MLF derived creaminess. Harmony and balance have become two of the hallmarks of our Swamp Reserve style. This wine has fineness and structure, yet is also incredibly complex and long.

Our Swamp Reserve Chardonnay comes from a single vineyard on the Havelock North hills. It is a very sheltered north facing site, with dry-grown vines on Taupo pumice soils amongst limestone outcrops. This is a rich and full-bodied dry white wine and is a great match for fish, pork and poultry dishes."

5 Stars & 94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, October 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"A gracefully styled chardonnay showing grapefruit, nectarine, subtle vanilla and roasted hazelnut characters on the nose. It's succulent and supple, delivering bright fruit flavours together with fine texture and vibrant acidity, finishing long and structured. At its best: now to 2027."

4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper (2019 Vintage)
"Based on the winery's best Hawke's Bay grapes, this seductive Chardonnay has a finely judged balance of rich, citrusy, peachy fruit flavours and toasty oak. Hand-picked in the company's Middle Road Vineyard at Havelock North, it is fermented and matured in French oak barriques (33 per cent new in 2019), and given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. The 2019 vintage (4.5*) is still youthful. Bright, light yellow/green, it has very good concentration of fresh, peachy, citrusy flavours, slightly smoky and toasty notes adding complexity, and a tightly structured finish. Best drinking 2023+."

4 Stars Cuisine Chardonnay Tasting, August 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"Quite a floral wine with characters of dried herbs and lime zest on the nose. Lush, lithe and elegant, reminiscent of a summer-day stroll through the wildflower meadow. This chardonnay has been extremely well handled resulting in a lovely acid profile which provides freshness and vibrancy."

Reviews for the 2018 vintage below…

5 Stars & 95/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, August 2019 (2018 Vintage)
"Rich, smooth and moderately complex chardonnay with peach, stone fruit, oyster shell, mineral, lime, hazelnut and spicy oak flavours. Nicely balanced with a lingering finish. Plenty of weight and flavour. Impressive."