ČUVAR GUARDIAN RIVERMERE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2021

Gold Medal – New Zealand International Wine Show 2024

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"2021 Hawke’s Bay was graced with exceptional warm, dry and stable weather. Our Rivermere vineyard nestled beside the Ngaruroro River on the Gimblett Gravels produced fruit in impeccable condition.

With the first sip, this wine displays an array of stone fruits and baked apples with cinnamon and allspice. These flavours are wrapped around a noble pillar of fruit acid that supports this wine right through to the finish and leaves you wanting more. The natural ferment component contributes to the suppleness of the palate adding complexity as well as enhancing the unwavering finish. This gorgeous Chardonnay was also one of Sir George’s first wines and was made with the help of winemaker Hugh Crichton."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, January 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"There’s a definitive complexity within the bouquet of this wine, aromas of place then fruit, careful selection of barrels and skilled winemaking. As the wine opens out in glass a touch of gun-flint delivers a youthful quality then scents of stone fruits, nut and citrus fruits. Full-boded, warm and generous as the wine touches the palate, textures and flavours of white and yellow fruits, oak and wood spices, gun-flint, brazil-nut, and complexity. A delicious wine ticking the boxes of texture and flavour, a backbone of acidity with a lengthy complex finish. Best drinking from mid to late 2024 through 2030". 

5 Stars & 19/20 (95) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, April 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Bright, even, pale straw yellow. This has a full, expressive bouquet with aromas of struck-match overlying vanilla, warm toast, hazelnut, citrus and stonefruit. Full-bodied, aromas of peach and apricot entwined with lemon sherbet, roasted hazelnut, vanilla, toasty spice and underlined struck-match. The wine is rich and harmonious, with power and layers. Integrated acidity carries fine-texture, mineral-rich phenolics to linearity. This Chardonnay possesses power and grace, a strong release as one of Sir George's first wines in the Čuvar chapter. Match with roasted guinea fowl and pork chop over the next 7 years. Fruit from Rivermere Vineyard (previously Lyon's) on Gimbelett Gravels, handpicked, fermented with natural yeast in 42% new oak and 58% seasoned French oak barriques, partial MLF, aged 10 months on lees, 13.5% alc."

5 Stars Yvonne Lorkin, January 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"If great chardonnay is your jam then best you go out and buy a loaf and get buttering! This Hugh Crichton-honed new release is stacked with creamy, baked peachy goodness, a lick of grapefruit and perky popcorn-laced aromas and it bursts with citrus and softly smoky, nutty niceness on the palate. 2021 was warm, dry, and darn great for chardonnay and I found it difficult to stick to just one glass. Crafted from fruit grown in the Rivermere vineyard (formerly ‘Lyons’ vineyard) on the banks of the Ngaruroro River in the Gimblett Gravels, Čuvar translates to ‘guardian’ in Croatian and it’s the exciting new project for Sir George Fistonich and Fistonich Family Wines. Firm, fresh and deliciously complex from its wild ferment, it’s seriously impressive."

92/100 David Walker Bell, WineFolio.co.nz, January 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Made by Hugh Crichton in the excellent 2021 vintage, before he landed the Elephant Hill job, and from the well-regarded Rivermere Vineyard (re-named from the Lyons Vineyard) beside the Ngaruroro River on the Gimblett Gravels. From the top tier for this new label – the ‘Guardian’ range. A pale straw colour in the glass. Ripe aromas of peach, pear, lemon curd, breadcrumb, apricot, hazelnut and baking spices. A power-packed expression, with bright acidity highlighting the generous fruit flavours, and some toasty oak notes in support. A chalky, lees-influenced texture runs through the palate. An almond cream note at the finish adds more interest."

Joelle Thomson, drinksbiz Magazine August/September 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Hawke's Bay had an excellent vintage in 2021 and this outstanding crisp, dry and complex Chardonnay shows it. It is made with grapes grown on the Rivermere vineyard by the Ngaruroro River on the Gimblett Gravels, a site where warm days and cool evenings bring freshness to balance the ripe stonefruit, baked apples, cinnamon and spice nuances. Čuvar (pronounced "choo-var") translates from Croatian as "the guardian" and is the new brand of Sir George Fistonich. The wine was made by Hugh Crichton."