Produced by New Zealand's Champion producer of Chardonnays. The 2023 vintage is an excellent follow up to the previous award winning vintages. It offers incredible amounts of Chardonnay satisfaction for very few dollars. Every year the Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Chardonnay comes through with the goodies.
Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"Classically Hawkes Bay in style, this Chardonnay reveals a fragrant nose of fresh citrus and ripe stone fruit, with complexing grilled nut characters from subtle French oak. A silken textured mouthfeel unfolds with layers of fruit, delicate oak spice and subtle mealy flavours topped with wonderful acidity."
Reviews for previous vintages below…
90/100 Cameron Douglas MS, January 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"An attractive bouquet with aromas of sweet red apple and peach, there’s some apricot and baking spice qualities, a light toasty wood quality and light mineral quality. Smooth and creamy on the palate with some fine tannins then acidity offering a light chalky texture before flavours of orchard fruits, apples and peaches return. Balanced and well made, ready to drink from 2023 through 2026."
5 Stars & 93/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, February 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Gorgeously fruited and immediately appealing with golden peach, fig, vanillin oak and brioche characters, it's succulent and supple in the mouth displaying excellent weight and persistency. Beautifully rounded and creamy with a lengthy flavoursome finish. At its best: now to 2025."
4 Stars Michael Cooper (2021 Vintage)
"Typically a great buy. The 2021 vintage was fermented and lees-aged for nine months in oak barriques (14 per cent new). It has a fragrant, slightly smoky bouquet, leading into a mouthfilling wine with fresh, generous, peachy flavours and savoury notes adding complexity. Best drinking mid-2023+."