HUNTER’S CHARDONNAY 2023

Hunter's Chardonnay has long been a great buy and to still be able to offer it at this kind of price is just fantastic. Made from predominantly old vine Mendoza fruit it gets the full treatment in the winery; 100% barrel fermentation with high solids and then 12 months in French oak puncheons, with about 80% going through malolactic. The result is spectacular with hints of flint and a creamy mouthfeel perfectly complementing the ripe fruit characters.

Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"The wine has beautiful flavours of grapefruit and citrus characters with some white peach undertones. Complex and flinty nose complements the tightly structured palate that shows bright stone fruit and toasted hazelnuts. Good balance from the toasty oak integration that complements the silky texture on the palate. This wine drinks very well on release but will develop and evolve over the next 5-7 years.

Chardonnay grapes were sourced from the Rapaura and Omaka sub regions of Marlborough. We have been using the same vineyards for many years which gives the wine a certain level of consistency. The grapes were picked by machine or hand depending on the block and pressed without sulphur to a stainless-steel vat. The cloudy juice was transferred into 500 litre French oak puncheons for fermentation. Indigenous yeasts were employed for alcoholic fermentation after which, 80% malolactic fermentation occurred. The wine was aged in puncheons on yeast lees for 12 months before racked off its lees ready for bottling."

Rated Excellent, Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, July 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"Fresh & inviting nose, peach and stonefruit notes lead, a touch of toffee/caramel and a light seasoning of oak that lets the fruit shine. Creamy palate entry, again the fruit nicely to the fore, fresh acidity supporting the whole without dominating, that wisp of toffee making an appearance too. Supple, refreshing, nicely done."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

90/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, August 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Moderately rich, flavoursome Chardonnay with vanilla, white peach and nectarine flavours dominating subtler nut, green apple and sizzled butter characters. High energy wine with refreshing acidity."

Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS, September 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"A delicious wine with flavours of white peach grapefruit, vanilla butter and gun flint. The satin texture on the palate is contrasted by acidity and core fruit flavours. Sweet vanilla spiced wood flavours, stone and mineral qualities with a lengthy finish. New and fresh – a wine that should develop more complexity as it ages. Best drinking from late 2023 through 2028+."

4 Stars Cuisine Chardonnay Tasting, August 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"An elegant, accessible and well-rounded chardonnay with aromas of apricots, peaches and custard on the nose which segue seamlessly onto the palate. The palate is nicely weighted, creamy and attractively complex with driving persistence and length."

4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper (2020 Vintage)
"The impressive, youthful 2020 vintage, grown in the Rapaura and Omaka districts, was fermented with indigenous yeasts and lees-aged for a year in French oak casks (25 per cent new). Bright, light yellow/green, it is mouthfilling, generous and savoury, with strong, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours, a subtle seasoning of oak, very good complexity and a finely textured, harmonious finish. Best drinking mid – 2022+."