Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"Valli’s first Central Otago Chardonnay is a wine of great purity and focus. Premium grapes came from the Highgrange Vineyard, an elevated site on Mt. Pisa. The 5th vintage of our canine charity series celebrates the accomplishments of Mawson, a Stewart Island/Rakiura predator detection dog. We will proudly donate proceeds of this wine to SIRCET, the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community and Environment Trust to help fund bi-annual Kiwi Avoidance Training to help protect our native flightless birds along with other initiatives for the benefit of NZ’s third island.
Mawson Chardonnay is energetic and refined with aromas of fresh citrus, lime zest, yellow apple, white blossom, freshly baked bread, and white stones. The palate has incredible fruit purity with a linear flow and exquisite freshness. A unique wine best enjoyed with a special meal and great company over the next 13+ years."
92/100 Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com, Wine Advocate, June 2025 (2023 Vintage)
"The 2023 Pisa Chardonnay leads aromatically with green apple and white peach, lemongrass and clove, star anise and a hint of melon. On the palate, the wine is tightly coiled and fresh, driven by phenolics on the palate that structure the mid-palate and finish. This is a tightly coiled wine."