Although some of these tasting notes may be found elsewhere on this site, this page brings together most of my Chardonnay notes, listed alphabetically by Producer. Click here for rating systems and abbreviations.

Kim Crawford SP Tietjen Gisborne Chardonnay 2007 (sc) Bright yellow gold in colour, this young blockbuster has rich, powerful, fragrant vanillin oak and stonefruit scents that immediately whisk you to Chardonnay land. It's savoury and spicy and full of creamy vanillin oak with a nutty mealy deliciousness, juicy peach and tropical fruit and a long rich finish with hints of butterscotch. American oak adds to its approachability and best of all, it can take serious chilling. 14.5% alc. $29.99.5Mar2008.

Matahiwi Unoaked Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2007 (sc) A bright, zesty little number with a peach, lime and orange zest flavour and palate richness from the yeast lees. A soft, easy to drink, citrussy style. 13.5% alc. $15. 4Sep2007.

Mission Estate Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2007 (sc) Bright, clean and fruity with richness to the oily, slippery texture, peach and apricot fruit, a touch of oak spice and alcohol warmth to the finish which has great length and power. Oak is subtle and nicely integrated and there's a nutty, steely undercurrent too.13.5% alc. $12.99. 20Feb2008.

Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2007 (D) The classiness of this bright, light gold-coloured wine shows from the outset with hints of butterscotch joining nectarine, peach and classy French oak on the nose, with a blossomy fragrance and lemon brioche. Heady and rich but youthful in the palate, this baby really needs more time before taking to a dinner party, but the class and finesse is so obvious already. It's full-bodied and warmly textured with citrus, stonefruit, apricot, sweet oak and mealy flavours, with toasty spice filling the ripe fruit finish where delicious stonefruit lingers deliciously. Decant for best drinking right now. 14% alc. $34.99. Diam.12Mar2008.

Thornbury Gisborne Chardonnay 2007 (sc) A big bright rich toasty style served slightly chilled, which accentuates the butterscotch aromas and flavours. It is long and creamy and full of ripe peach and melon fruit with butterscotch richness and a spicy depth. Lots of appeal. 14% alc. $13.99. 16Apr2008.

Alpha Domus Barrel-Fermented Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) This has developed more richness since last tasted, but still on the 'elegant' side. It slowly builds in the mouth to a creamy, leesy and peachy finish. Just 20% new oak. 13.5% alc. $27. 9Oct2007.

Anchorage Unoaked Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Very pale straw, this is a taut, citrussy wine, a little reminiscent of pinot gris at first in the palate with its neutral pear-like flavours then it fills out with a citrussy zing. The creamy savouriness of the yeast lees component comes through and with its reasonably high acidity, the long tasty finish seems dry. With its bright zestiness, this would be a great seafood wine, immensely suited to the flavours of the Nelson region. 13% alc. $16. 7Jul2007.

Ascension 'The Ascent' Matakana Reserve Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Peaches and spicy oak on the nose, cream, leesy and oaky in the palate, made in a weighty style. Stonefruit and grapefruit are the primary fruit characters. Quite youthful at this stage of its life but if the past wines of this label are anything to go by, it should develop well. 13% alc. $35. 10Jul2007.

Askerne Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (D) Pale yellow gold with citrussy aromas and spicy flavours. Initially crisp, a malolactic creamy influence softens then texture, with a mealy, bready richness, well-integrated oak and a citrus resurgence on the finish. This would make a lovely seafood accompaniment. 13% alc. $20. ***1/2. 3Nov2007.
Sweet toasty French oak with a buttery overlay tempts the nose while spicy toasty oak and peachy flavours fulfil the palate. Soft and creamy with a zesty flourish to the frisky finish, it's beaut summer drinking on its own or a perfect accompaniment to the catch of the day. 13% alc. $16.99. 5Dec2007.

Astrolabe Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) A sweeter, ripe, creamy style of chardonnay with loads of stonefruit and spicy oak, and even though chilled for four hours before tasting, it came across as fresh, bright and vibrant with a long, tasty and very juicy finish. 13.5% alc. $30.99. 30Jan2008.

Auntsfield Cob Cottage Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) A lovely rich, creamy wine - it's oaky, savoury and toasty with citrus, stonefruit and pineapple and a leesy richness to the long, creamy, spicy finish. Beautiful, seamless drinking. 13.5% alc. $33. 9Oct2007.

Bensen Block Unoaked Gisborne Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Fresh fruit aromas lead into a creamy textured palate with a yeasty richness, vibrant tropical fruit flavours, a touch of butterscotch and a twist of citrus. A light to medium-bodied style with a buttery finish. 13% alc. $16.95. 7Nov2006.

Black Barn Vineyard Barrel Fermented Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 Delicately smoky on the nose and savoury to the taste with fruit salad, lemon zest and stonefruit. The oak is subtle and savoury and adds richness and gentle toasty flavours, while wild yeast work adds additional complexity to the long lasting and fleshy, fruit-sweet finish.100% barrel-fermented with 40% new oak and 70% wild yeasts. $38. 9Oct2007.

Blackenbrook Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) There's a yellow hue to the light gold colour with concentrated stone fruit on the nose and spicy oak in the creamy, buttery palate with caramel titivating the finish. It's a big wine, rounded and juicy with excellent length and a pleasing tropical fruit aftertaste. But seeing the alcohol level on the bottle floored me. 15% alc. 22.90. ****1/2. 3Nov2007.

Bouldevines Dogpoint Road Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light straw gold, this lightly toasty smelling wine has obvious malolactic influences. It's soft and creamy and full of ripe melon and tropical fruit with a spicy oak flourish to the warm smooth finish. It's a wine of finesse and drinking beautifully now, but it will evolve beautifully over the next year. 14.5% alc. $22.99. 10Oct2007.
Lemon yellow in colour, this is soft, rounded, smooth and harmonious with caramel on the nose and crème caramel in the palate. Warm alcohol, grilled stonefruit and juicy tropical fruits fill the palate with a fruit bread sweetness and a touch of orange peel to the finish. Powerful, tasty and creamy with lots and lots going on. 14.5% alc. $25.99. 25Oct2007.

Clearview Beachhead Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Lemon gold with intense aromas of tropical fruit and apricot, it's intensely fruity to the taste too with an almost viscous texture. There's a myriad of opulent sweet, ripe fruit - tropical fruit, stone fruit, apricots and mangoes with spicy oak, orange peel, a hint of liquorice, and a spicy, bready, powerful finish. 14% alc. $20.99. 14Mar2007.

Clearview Unoaked Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Pale lemon gold in the gold with a suggestion of a greenish glint. On the nose yeast lees characters are apparent and it's just a little nutty. There's stonefruit too, but subtle. Spritzy and zesty, bright and refreshing, citrussy - more of the 'lemonade' fruit - and quenching. Lots of juicy factor with warm nutty leesy notes and a creamy, mealy finish. 14.5% alc. $22. 24Feb2007.

Clearview Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (D) A big rich style, as to be expected from Clearview, it's a medium gold colour with creamy, toasty, vanilla, cedar and stonefruit aromas and a full flavoured palate of spicy, savoury French oak with a mealy richness, ripe peach and apricot with a hint of citrus and perhaps even pineapple. Quite tight to start with, especially in the XL5 tasting glass, but it opens up beautifully with a warm aftertaste leaving a glow of Chardonnay happiness. 14.5% alc. $37.99. 23May2007.

Coopers Creek SV 'The Limeworks' Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Rich and toasty with abundant aromas of sweet smoky American oak which integrates beautifully with the caramel-coated, grilled, fleshy peach-like fruit. Big, ripe and juicy with a nutty backbone and a touch of spice. Lingers deliciously. A real crowd pleaser. 13.5% alc. $20.13Oct2007.
Tasted straight after several sauvignon blancs, this beautiful balanced, fresh style smells so inviting with its toasty, peachy chardonnay scent and hits the spot instantly with its creamy, savoury and toasty vanillin oak flavours. With nuts, figs and juicy peach it's a great prospect with or without food and good drinking this summer and beyond. 13.5% alc. $19.99. 16Jan2008.

Craggy Range C3 Kidnappers Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 (sc) , Light golden colour with a clear, bright, adamantine lustre. Lightly honeyed mellow oak and apricot kernel scents carry through to the palate where the richness of stonefruit and tropical fruit emerges. The palate has excellent weight and length with hints of citrus and apple on the dry finish and a creaminess to the lingering aftertaste. 13.8% alc. $24.95. 31Oct2006.

Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) A leesy influenced, creamy, stonefruit and sherbet aroma presents this light coloured Chardonnay. It's quite tight and lean at this stage of its life with an earthy, steely, grainy textured undercurrent to the stonefruit and citrus fruit with toasty, savoury oak and just a hint of flint. 14% alc. $27.99. 23May2007.

Craggy Range Seven Poplars Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 Light straw gold in colour, almost water pale. Tantalising aromas of delicate stonefruit and apricot and a beautifully balanced palate with soft acidity, melon, stonefruit and savoury French oak. There's a touch of spritz to the texture and a long savoury finish with tropical fruit and apricot lingering. 14.5% alc. $29.99. 23May2007.

Crossroads Destination Series Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Ripe, toasty and creamy - it smells typically NZ with its peachy aroma and tastes even more so with its tropical fruit, peaches and cream flavour with a nice taste of oak on the rounded finish and hints of grapefruit lingering. Tasty and approachable. 14% alc. $15.99. 18Jul2007.
Smoky, toasty, ripe peach aromas and sweet-fruited toasty flavours with a dry nutty backbone, savoury oak, oatmeal influences and loads of fleshy tropical fruit and stonefruit. This light gold coloured, smooth, creamy textured wine screams its regionality and is drinking beautifully right now. 14% alc. $16.99. 13Feb2008.

Dry River Martinborough Chardonnay 2006 (c) Perfectly balanced, and never overpowering with savoury, mealy, nutty flavours that expand gloriously in the mouth, delicous ripe stonefruit, prominent citrus and spicy, almost peppery oak. A perfect Chardonnay to match to scallops. 13.5% alc. $45. 25Dec2007.

Drylands Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Pale yellow. Soft, subtle, mealy and later quite nutty on the nose. Sweet oaked and a little floral in the palate - delicate, light, clean and nutty, a little reminiscent of Chablis with an oiliness to the texture, tropical fruit, underlying power and flow, and a hint of butterscotch it lingers. This wine ebbed and flowed for me. 13.5% alc. $19.99. ***1/2. 3Nov2007.

Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Mid-yellow gold in colour, this medium to full-bodied wine has smoky grilled peach and barrel-ferment aromas and rich, creamy flavours with melon and tropical fruit over a firm fleshy, grilled peach backbone with savouriness from the oak and yeast lees adding complexity to the spicy finish. Ripe and well-balanced and drinking well on the day. 14% alc. $20.50. 14Aug2007.

Felton Road 'Elms' Central Otago Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light lemon gold, bright and clear. Hints of quince and nuances of lime zest on the delicately nutty nose and crisp, oily, nutty flavours with a richness from the earthy, savoury, lemony, toasty yeast lees. There's a strong marmite/yeast influence and underlying acidity adds a lovely tangelo/lime brightness to the finish with baked apple and spice emerging on the dry, nutty aftertaste. One of the most complex 'unoaked' chardonnays you will find made within New Zealand, the fruit comes from the original Elms Vineyard. 14% alc. $26.99. 15Aug2007.

Felton Road Central Otago Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Mid yellow gold in colour, there's smoky bacon-like oak on the nose with hints of citrus and stonefruit and even though there is only 10% new oak, it is quite emphatically stated. Rich, powerful and smoky to the taste with grilled peaches, fresh apricot, a hint of pineapple, a touch of grapefruit and a long, mellow, earthy nutty finish with a flourish of oak spice, it's dry, toasty and spicy with savoury yeast lees flavours and butterscotch on the tasty finish. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% French oak for 12 months - the 'barrel fermeneted' of previous vintages has been dropped from the name. 14% alc. $34.99. 15Aug2007.

Freefall Chardonnay Marlborough 2006 (sc) Fruit salad aromas and fresh and fruity flavours with a subtle underpinning of spicy creamy oak and a bright juicy finish. Not bad at all. 14%. $19.95. 8Oct2006.

Fromm La Strada Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (D) Closed on the nose at first- very tight and not wanting to release it aromas, but then the scents of orange zest, flower musk and delicate spice emerge. Nutty and dry to the taste - very, very dry with a zesty undercurrent. There's a grainy complexity and the finish is along and opens up beautifully. An oak-free style with 10-12 months on yeast lees to add complexity. Decant for best drinking at this stage of its life and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Good aging potential too. ****. 13.5% alc. $29.50. 3Nov2007.

Gibbston Valley Greenstone Chardonnay 2006 - Central Otago (sc) Earthy pithy aromas and savoury, slightly herbal flavours with melon fruit and some exotic fruits adding intrique. Quite bready and citrussy, it take a while to seduce the palate but becomes quite creamy and fruity with underlying tangy acidity and hints of apples. 13.5% alc. $20. 7Jul2007.

Goldwater Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Straw gold in colour, this smooth, creamy and very stylish chardonnay is immediately appealing with its soft, ripe, rounded flavours. Barrel-ferment aromas and spicy oak flavours with a mealy nutty backbone, juicy white peach and citrus fruit, hints of butterscotch and a lovely mouth coating texture. The style we like to drink. 14% alc. $17.99. 7Nov2007.

Greystone Waipara Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Full of spicy oak aromas and butterscotch-infused creamy flavours with a citrussy brightness and apricot fruit. It's medium-bodied with a Burgundian-like nutty undercurrent and while drinking nicely now, I think it has the potential to blossom even more with just a little more time. 13% alc. $26. 21OCt2007.

Gunn Estate Skeetfield Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light gold in colour. Bright and citrussy on the nose and clean and bright in the palate with a lovely soft smooth creamy flow. Spicy oak and a mealy undercurrent provide a savoury balance to the sweet stone fruits that are totally in the nectarine and white peach spectrum, and the lingering finish radiates elegance and class. 14% alc. $30. *****. 3Nov2007.
This light golden-coloured chardonnay is big, rich and toasty with gorgeous flavours and flow. A full barrel-fermented style with a bright citrussy aroma and savoury oak, spicy yeast lees with mouthfilling, ripe peach and nectarine flavours and a citrus zestiness to the magnificently long finish. This is Class with a capital 'C'. 14% alc. $31.99. 7Nov2007.
A rich, mealy style, full of oatmeal and malt with spicy oak, crunchy stone fruit and a hint of citrus. It's still very tight and doesn't want too much chilling, but all the pointers to its class are there in the expansive, mouthfilling finish. 14% alc. $31.99. 16Apr2008.

Hyperion Helios Matakana Chardonnay 2006 (D) It smells nutty and mealy with a hint of toffee, stonefruit and savoury oak. Seriously ripe fruit, lightly creamy with spicy oak emerging in palate, it's rich and luscious with the vibrant fruit soaking up the alcohol. This is a rather big, full-bodied style with tropical fruit, stone fruit, a spicy, creamy, nutty backbone and a bright, fresh lingering finish. A good vintage. 14.5%. $23. 26Feb2007.

Kim Crawford Doc’s Block Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) This pale yellow coloured wine is another powerful barrel fermented, mealy style with a creamy, wheaty, spicy oak aroma that hints of butterscotch, and sweet American oak and savoury yeast lees flavours balancing the delicious stonefruit flavours. It's ripe, rounded, smooth and creamy with a spicy zestiness to the luscious finish and already very appealing. 14% alc. $25.99. 25Oct2007.

Kim Crawford SP Dolly GisborneChardonnay 2006 (sc) Rich, mealy and malty, this powerful Chardonnay is a little bit funky and full of savoury oak with stonefruit, hints of pineapple and underlying acidity adding brightness. Long, savoury, harmonious and spicy. 13% alc. $29.99. 19Sep2007.
Creamy gold in colour with dry, citrussy, spicy oak and biscuity, bready aromas, this beautiful wines just flows across the palate. It's full of juicy tropical fruit, citrus, toasty oak and spicy lemony leesy flavours with full malolactic fermentation adding creaminess and a long, mouthfilling, savoury and spicy finish. Still quite tight, which shows its long term potential - if you can wait. 13% alc. $29.99.5Mar2008.

Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2006 - Kumeu, Auckland (sc) Aromatic with pineapple, yeasty influences and a deep, smoky savouriness. Melon and tropical fruit with underlying citrus acidity, a subtle spicy savouriness and hints of tropical fruit esters. Clean and bright with a slightly grainy texture, Re-tasted again after the others, there's a sherbetty, spritzy character to the texture that keeps it bright and fresh. 5000 cases made. 13% alc. $19.50. 12Jul2007.

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2006 - Kumeu, Auckland (sc) A little more honey oak and yeast lees component on the nose - the smoky savoury oak comes through again. Concentrated and appealing, the smoky oak is more obvious in the palate with melon the dominant fruit., Spicy and savoury with grilled stonefruit fleshing out the medium to full-bodied finish, it's dry to the taste - a lovely, fine elegant drink. 12,500 cases made. 13.5% alc. $37.95. 12Jul2007.
Lemon gold with creamy French oak and brioche characters on the nose, it's rich and full in the creamy palate with oatmeal, malt, a touch of spice, grilled stonefruits, hints of grapefruit and honeyed oak culminating in a tasty, powerful and long finish with youthful, lip smacking acidity. With great focus and length, it's drinking well now but has all the pointers there for mid term cellaring. Sourced from several vineyards around Kumeu. 13.5% alc. $37.99. 1Aug2007.

Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2006 - Kumeu, Auckland (sc) Honeyed French oak, classy, savoury and smoky. This is a mouthfilling, bright, full-bodied wine. It's savoury with juicy melon and exotic fruit and crisp underlying acidity. Very dry with the sweetness of the fruit and alcohol providing excellent balance. Grainy textured and long with a citrussy lemon/mandarin aftertaste. Ripe, almost luscious, some nuttiness emerging too. Quite salty, savoury and spicy. Perhaps a little hot on the finish. 850 cases made. 13.5% alc. $44.95. 12Jul2007.

Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2006 - Kumeu, Auckland (sc) Concentrated, full-bodied figgy aroma, that smoky / smoky bacon savouriness again. Rich, almost luscious to the taste, the smoky savouriness plays a big role and the ripe melon, pear and spice flavours come through beautifully. There's a biscuity lemony leesy backbone, quite dry and just a little hard at this stage, but has the potential to age magnificently. 1200 cases made. 14% alc. $44.95. 12Jul2007.
Lemon gold with a little more oak apparent on the nose, it smells smoky and savoury with hints of fig and grapefruit, and tastes ripe and rich with a smoky, savoury, spicy flavour that has Burgundian-like finesse and complexity. It needs a big glass to open up but with the juicy, ripe stonefruit, melon and pear flavours, the silky texture, the powerful, long finish and the perfectly balanced underlying acidity, you can see the brilliance of this wine. Beautiful already with excellent mid to long term potential, this is a single vineyard wine from the vineyard on the hill across the road from the Kumeu River Winery. 14% alc. $45.99. 1Aug2007.

Kumeu River Mates Chardonnay 2006 - Kumeu, Auckland (sc) Delicate (more closed on the nose) with smoky, savoury French oak and a definite, leesy, mealy influence that carries through to the palate, the malolactic treatment quite obvious. Very dry, grainy, citrussy with a richness to the mealy backbone, a honeysuckle, almost ethereal, apricot character, like the essence of apricot that you get in Viognier. And a warm, almost heady finish. Savoury, oaty. Magnificent wine. 1000 cases made. 13.5% alc. $50.95. 12Jul2007.

Lincoln Heritage Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 'Patricia' (sc) Pale gold in colour. It's very bright and tasty, full of juicy stonefruit, nectarine and tropical fruit without any influence of oak but a savouriness from the yeast lees adds a creamy richness and sweet apricot lingers on the lightly spicy finish with a touch of sherbet zest too. A real star with the troops and a very good match to roasted chicken breasts stuffed with apricots. 13.5% alc. $16. 11Aug2006.

Lonestone Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) A pale lemon coloured, peachy smelling Chardonnay with a mealy richness and a hint of toast to the aroma, it's rounded and smooth to the taste with spicy oak, juicy stonefruit, a lightly buttery creamy texture, a mealy undercurrent and a touch of citrus adding brightness to the toasty finish. Ripe and appealing and dinking well right now. 14% alc. $17.99. 27Feb2008.

Marsden Estate Black Rocks Chardonnay 2006 - Kerikeri, Northland Tantalising aroma of spice, oatmeal, tropical fruit and orange peel and full-bodied, creamy, nutty, flavours infused with stonefruit, tropical fruit, melon and citrus playing in harmony to the strum of stylish oak. Sophisticated and decadent with a long, complex mouthfilling finish and a hint of butterscotch as it lingers. French and American oak with malolactic fermentation and extended lees contact. 13.5% alc. $30.99. 5Sep2007.

Mills Reef Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Oak-lovers will revel in the forward oak flavours of this light golden coloured wine. It's a rich, powerful, full-bodied, barrel fermented style with alcohol warmth, a buttery richness, a mouth-coating glycerolic texture and copious amounts of stone fruit. 14% alc. $17.99. 25Oct2007.

Montana Stuart Block Chardonnay 2006 - Patutahi, Gisborne (sc) Light green gold in colour with a fragrant, toasty, mealy scent, this is a big toasty style - spicy and toasty with loads of tropical fruit and citrussy zest melding into the beautifully rounded, harmonious mealy palate with fleshy concentrated nectarine and peach on the lasting, sweet-oaked finish. If you loved the gold-bestowed 2004 Stuart Block, you'll love this too. 14% alc. $25.99. 21Nov2007.

Montana Waihirere Chardonnay 2005 - Ormond, Gisborne (sc) Far more Burgundian in style with nutty oak, figs and nougat, it's rich, creamy and savoury with a grapefruit nuance to the barrel-fermented oak aromas and a toastiness to the nutty, mealy flavours with Gisborne's signature tropical fruit on the long, dry, savoury, full-bodied finish. Elegance and class. 13.5% alc. $25.99. 21Nov2007.

Mount Riley Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Lemon gold with grapefruit and limes on the nose carrying through to the bright, breezy palate. Rich and oily, yet crisp and dry with sweet oak and a myriad of fruit that becomes quite peachy and fleshy with hints of apricot and passionfruit joining the citrus and buttery oak that is more assertive on the finish. 14% alc. $16.99. 7Nov2007.

Neudorf Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Soft and peachy smelling, it's a gorgeous savoury tasting Chardonnay with malty, mealy flavours, well integrated spicy oak and a clean, zesty, citrussy undercurrent. Stylish, mouthfilling and long. 14.5% alc. $31.99. 20Feb2008.

Ngatarawa 'Alwyn' Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 Bright gold. Smoky French oak on the nose with just a touch of toastiness to the peachy fruit leads into a rich, powerful, toasty palate imbued with stonefruit and spicy mealy flavours. Creamy and long with a touch of acidity adding brightness and lift to the toasty finish, it's sophisticated, dry and simply seamless. $36. 9Oct2007.

Ngatarawa Silks Chardonnay 2006 - Hawkes Bay (sc) Full of tropical fruit with hints of caramel and passionfruit this rich, weighty, mealy, creamy and lightly oaked chardonnay has a slightly sweetish fruit salad aroma and bright fruity flavours reminiscent of apricot, tropical fruit and pineapple with a toasty, creamy, nutty layer and butterscotch. Summer drinking. 13.5% alc. $17.99. 23Jan2008.

Richmond Plains Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) A light, fruity, spritzy style, pale in colour and zesty in flavour with a nutty backbone and hints of citrus and tropical fruit. A carefree, unoaked wine to serve chilled and drink on the beach. 13.5% alc. $19.95. ***. 3Nov2007.

Riverby Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light yellow gold. Softly savoury on the nose with a lovely perfume of stonefruit, it's soft and creamy in the palate with tropical fruit, stonefruit, yellow plums, milky yeast lees flavours, toffee and spicy grainy oak playing a supporting role in the background and a long, clean, seamless finish. Some tropical fruit, bubble gum-like nuances linger on the slightly hot, spicy savoury finish. 14.5% alc. $24.95. 7Jul2007.

Rose Tree Cottage Gisborne Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light yellow gold in colour, a contrast to the deep gold colour of the 2005 vintage tasted last week. A hint of caramel overlays the toasty oak aroma then rich, powerful, creamy, caramel flavours fill the mouth with toasty French oak, luscious tropical fruit, a hint of citrus and a long savoury finish with spiced stonefruits adding to the allure of the lingering aftertaste. 14% alc. $19.99.5Mar2008.

Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay 2006 - Hawkes Bay (sc) Light gold with a little more oomph to the nose and the taste - no wonder when the label is revealed. Spicy, mealy, citrus and toast aromas and mouthfilling, broad, oatmeal flavours with lime and hints of pineapple among the peach and tropical fruit on a smooth and seamless creamy texture. Beautifully proportioned spicy French oak and a lusciousness to the warm, lingering finish. Impressive. 14% alc. $51.99. 5Sep2007.
Totally irresistible with rich sweet fruit and gorgeous barrel fermented oak scents, it's full-bodied and powerful to the taste with spicy, toasty French oak, citrus, melon, juicy stonefruit and a mealy complexity. A wine with balance and precision and though quite tight-grained and urging for time in the cellar, it's so tempting, you just want to drink it now. $46.99. 28Nov2007.

Saint Clair Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Pale lemon. Ripe juicy stonefruit and savoury creamy oak on the nose and a bready richness to the palate with savoury yeast lees flavours, a touch of spice, peach, melons, malt, creamy oak and a bright, juicy, tropical fruit finish. Clean, well-made, medium-bodied, very approachable and drinkable style. 13.5% alc. $16.99. 8Aug2007.

Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Lime-tinged bright lemon/gold, this wine emanates aromas of smoke, creamy oak, vanilla and lanolin and it's big, fat, broad and lucious to the with a forest of brand new oak, creamed nuts, smoky bacon, spice and tropical fruit. Barrel-fermented in American oak, it's vibrant and lifted with hints of lime on the long, rich finish and an intriguing salty tang. 14.5% alc. $29.99. 19Dec2008.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 4 Sawcut Chardonnay 2006 (sc) This is striking right from the outset with its light golden colour, its ripe stonefruit and mealy, spicy oak aromas and its rich, almost oily, full-bodied, creamy textured palate that's full of semi-dried, concentrated stonefruit with a touch of tropical fruit and a hint of grapefruit. Beautifully balanced and deliciously drinkable already, it is made in the mould of the stunning, multiple gold medal winning 2005. 14% alc. $27.99. 23May2007.
Opulent aromas of malt and caramel and powerful rich flavours of spicy oak and peachy fruit with a salty savoury smoky undercurrent, a touch of leesy citrus and a long, creamy, fine-grained, caramel coated finish which is long, lean and focussed. Matt says this is possibly the best chardonnay he has ever made - but at this stage of its life he says it is better on the second day. 13.5% alc. $24.99. 8Aug2007.
Light yellow gold with savoury, nutty, mealy aromas and toasty oak flavours with stonefruit, tropical fruit and citrus. Quite dry and zesty with the chilling - but it becomes quite lusciously rich as it warms up in the glass, which I endeavoured to speed up by cupping my hands aroundthe glass and swirling. It was chilled for four hours and I didn't like this wine chilled down as much as it was. 14% alc. $27.99. 30Jan2008.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 10 Chardonnay 2006 (sc) A full-bodied rich, ripe, toasty barrel ferment style with a light gold colour and mouthfilling spicy, savoury and citrus fruit flavours with upfront grapefruit to the fore, stonefruit emerging on the mid to end-palate and a long, rich, creamy, almost caramel finish. A little tight and grainy at this stage of its life but the potential is there for this to blossom into a star. 13.5% alc. $27.99. 23May2007.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 11 ‘Cell Block’ Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light yellow gold with fragrant tropical fruit and cedar aromas and juicy white peach and tropical fruit flavours with smoky creamy oak, a lightly buttery backbone and a strong, barrel ferment yeasty influence. A rich, bold, full-bodied, seamless and long flavoured chardonnay, beautiful already but will become even more magnificent over the coming months as the oak settles and the fruit fleshes out. It’s reminiscent of the Pioneer Block 4 2005 on release – and that went on to win a trio of golds. 14% alc. $24.99. 1Jun2007.
Pale lemon yellow with buttery, zesty, spicy oak aromas, it's a big rich oaky style with a creamy, savoury backbone, grapefruit, spice, a touch of honey, plenty of cedar and nougat on the very long, fleshy caramel finish. Don’t serve too chilled at this stage of its life as it stunts the flamboyance of this delicious creamy wine and accentuates the oak and acid. Served at room temperature, it's simply seamless. 14% alc. $24.99. 6Jun2007.
Spicy, perfumed, floral, bready aromas with youthful French oak esters, this is more lifted, fruity and citrussy to the taste at first becoming rounded and creamy with toasty oak, juicy stonefruit and a glimmer of caramel. With about 50% wild yeast fermentation there's a funky mealy savouriness, and the finish has a salty, earthy tang - possibly a very exciting wine with oysters. 14% alc. $24.99 . 8Aug2007.

Saint Clair Vicar’s Choice Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light straw with a fruity aroma, its all toffee, caramel, peach and fruit salad to the ripe, juicy taste. Medium-bodied in style with little influence of oak, it is deliciously approachable with plenty of all round immediate appeal. 13% alc. $14.99. 5Sep2007.

Seifried Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) With a golden tinge to the straw yellow hue, this wine exudes a rich, butter caramel aroma and while it seems tight grained in the spicy, leesy palate at first, it opens up beautifully with juicy stonefruit, melon, hints of pineapple. It has a richness, complexity and length of flavour that is almost unbelievable for a wine of this price. 14% alc. $16.99. 5Sep2007.

Seifried Estate Barrel Ferment Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Golden coloured with plenty of legs, this is rich, ripe and toasty with abundant caramel and toffee scents. It's full-bodied and creamy with a bright, spicy, zesty undercurrent to the smooth flavours that have hints of stonefruit and a lovely balancing savouriness from the oak and yeast lees. The finish is long and seamless. 14.5% alc. $28.99. 10Oct2007.

Seresin Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Fragrant, grilled peach aromas and a smooth creamy fruity palate full of juicy stone and tropical fruit with spiciness from the mealy yeast lees and an oaky finish with a touch of hokey pokey / caramel as it lingers. Full-bodied and powerful with fruit evolving through peach to apricot with hints of pineapple and a reflux of passionfruit, it seems to get richer and more complex with every mouthful while the toasty oak moves to a supporting role in the background. Quite delicious. 14% alc. $28. 29Jul2007.

Sileni The Lodge Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light golden coloured with rich, toasty, creamy and subtle stonefruit aromas, but so abundantly fruity to the taste with stonefruit and tropical fruit layered over a mealy-rich, classy French oak backbone with a long and increasingly powerful aftertaste. Needs a big glass. 14% alc. $35.99. 19Dec2008.

Southbank Estate Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light yellow gold with grapefruit on the nose and grapefruit in the palate, the piquant citrus in not intrusive, just well-balanced to the subtle creamy oak. There's an apple-like pinot gris-ish nuance to the flavour with acidity lifting the lightly savoury, mealy finish. 14% alc. $20.99. ***1/2. 3Nov2007.

Spencer Hill 'Gold' Chardonnay NV (Z) Ripe and tasty with spicy oak and juicy fruit in the typical Tasman Bay / Spencer Hill mould. Stone fruit, mealy characters and spicy oak aromas and crisp, spicy flavours with stonefruits, tropical fruits and citrus and a long, creamy, mealy finish. Packaged in a 1-litre retro-styled 'jug' with a bright yellow zork capsule. 13% alc. $17.99. 17Mar2007.

Spy Valley Unoaked Marlborough Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Straw gold coloured. Citrus and tropical fruit aromas with a confectionary overlay and sweetish tropical fruit flavours with a tangelo and lime citrus tang. This off-dry style has masses of fruit balanced by a spicy yeast lees savouriness that comes through on the slightly, jazzy, spritzy textured finish and a bright, clean fruity flavour is left in the mouth. 13.5% alc. $16.95. 7Jul2007.

Squawking Magpie Gimblett Road Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light gold coloured, clear and bright, this mesmerising wine is bursting with juicy nectarines together with hints of melon and pineapple supported by nutty, hauntingly smoky French oak with a yeast lees richness and fruit nectar-like texture. Medium to full-bodied in style, long in flavour, decadent in its fruit richness, the oak plays the harmonious background role. Striking and memorable. 14% alc. Approx $32-$35. 10May2007.

Te Awa Left Field Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Out of left field because it has no oak, yet still rich and textural, full and round with a spicy, savoury flavour from the yeast lees influence. Peachy fruit tones emerge with tropical fruit and lemon bread on the finish. A fruity wine and better than many pinot gris. A superb match with Orange Roughy. 13.5% alc. $22.90. 12Nov2006.

Te Mania Reserve Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (D) Big, brash, bold and creamy, this has sweet, spicy oak and sweet peachy fruit and underlying acidity, which is welcomed. It's golden in colour and is full-bodied and spicy with plenty of flavour. 14% alc. $27.95. ****. 3Nov2007.

Te Mania Nelson Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Delicate apple aroma that becomes quite perfumed with toffee apple and apple blossom. Spicy in the palate with subtle savoury oak and a lifted, long, sweet lingering aftertaste. Lots of apple, which is okay if you like apple in Chardonnay. Pinot Gris fans should like this. 14% alc. $18.95. ***. 3Nov2007.

Te Mata Elston Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006 (D) Light golden yellow, this is savoury and nutty with a hint of marzipan on the nose and citrus zest dominates the flavours at first but the citrus is just a curtain that parts to reveal the savouriness and richness within. It's very dry and totally Burgundian in style, intensifying on the palate with rich, mealy, full-bodied flavours and tropical fruit on the finish. A wine with a long, long life ahead of it, yet when tasted blind it stirred up mixed reactions from the tasters. 14% alc. $29.99. 25Oct2007.

Te Mata Woodthorpe Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Tropical fruit abounds on the nose with a nutty oak complexity to the scent of this bright lemon gold-colour wine. It’s a fat leesy style, quite mellow already with melon and tropical fruit flavours and honeyed oak emerging on the warm, rich finish while underlying citrus keeps the wine fresh. Nicely integrated and drinking well now. 13% alc. $18.99.12Mar2008.

Vavasour Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Green-tinged light gold in colour, this spicy, savoury, creamy, leesy, full-bodied, barrel-fermented chardonnay is oily, toasty, nutty and citrussy with hints of butterscotch, a rich, spicy finish and excellent length. Chilled for four hours before tasting, yet still very stylish. 14.5% alc. $19.99. 30Jan2008.

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2006 (sc) Light gold in colour, it's rich, creamy, powerful and nutty with toasty oak, hints of toffee, ripe stonefruit and a touch of sweeter citrus. Tonight it is served slightly chilled which doesn’t harm it at all. It enhances the oak and the acidity in a most delightful way. 14% alc. $19.99.26Sep2007.
With juicy citrus and savoury, toasty French oak on the nose, this rich, fuller-bodied chardonnay seems elegant and refined with a creamy texture over a spicy, nutty backbone and tropical fruit, pineapple and peach. Showing good underlying acidity, it's a powerful wine for the price point and made to last. 14% alc. $17.99. 16Jan2008.

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Chardonnay 2006 - Auckland (sc) Light golden coloured, smoky scented, full-bodied and toasty with creamy oak, grilled stonefruit and a lovely crisp seam of underlying sweet citrus, this is a gorgeous, rounded, smooth flowing mouthful of delicious chardonnay wine. 14% alc. $37.99. 6Feb2008.

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Waikahu Chardonnay 2006 - Hawkes Bay (sc) Toasty butterscotch aromas with hints of malt caramel and full-bodied, soft, creamy flavours crammed with peach, tropical fruit, caramel and butterscotch with an spicy tang to the mealy, nutty underlay. Beautifully harmonious, long and luscious. 14% alc. $37.99. 19Sep2007.