Bay Harbour: October 23, 2019

PAGE 22 Wednesday October 23 2019
BAY HARBOUR
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wine
Chardonnays to keep an eye out for
• By Mark Henderson
THIS WEEK’S assortment is a
group of 2017 chardonnays.
With Mr McLaren away travelling,
McLaren jun joined my
regular panelist, Mr Collins, and
me to taste through a range from
across the regions.
A grapefruit note came up in
one of the early wines, and once
that character was identified,
I kept finding it in most of the
wines.
The power of suggestion? A
character of the vintage? Or perhaps
my succumbing to cognitive
bias?
More study will be needed.
2017 Mahi Alchemy Single
Vineyard Marlborough
Chardonnay
Price: $39.90
Rating: Excellent
Gunflint, struck match, powerful
peach and melon fruit, citrus
with time. At first, playing in the
sweet and sour spectrum with
grapefruit in focus and biscuity/
oatmeal notes, but this fattens up
nicely, aeration adding a wisp of
buttered popcorn.
All the while, there’s delicious
drive and crispness with a
delightfully long, fresh and tangy
finish.
www.mahiwine.co.nz
2017 Hunters Offshoot
Marlborough Chardonnay
Price: $34.99
Rating: Very good to excellent
Grapefruit, struck match, fresh
baguette, a little toastiness. Powerful
in the mouth, the lemony
citrus notes play off grilled nuts
and toasty elements, with stonefruit
and apple joining in with
aeration. Crisp, salivatory, there’s
a real lip-smacking element to
the acidity.
Tightens a little over time,
but a good swirl helps to coax it
back.
www.hunters.co.nz
2017 Tohu Whenua Awa
Single Vineyard Awatere
Valley Chardonnay
Price: $39.99
Rating: Very good to excellent
Struck match, burnt toast,
warm baguette, grapefruit.
Showing its youthful side, yet
also its richness, texture and
supple acidity. Grilled nuts,
caramel, some fruit pith bittersweet
elements and a petrol-like
note.
This becomes more zesty with
aeration but seems to be holding
its cards close to its chest.
www.tohuwines.co.nz
2017 Craggy Range Les
Beaux Cailloux Gimblett
Gravels Chardonnay
Price: $150
Rating: Excellent
Bonfire smoke, spices, peach
almost a deeper register, developing
perfume and struck
match. This could be perceived
as underpowered but there’s
quiet depth in the mouth. This
grows in texture, picking up
notes of orange peel, spice and
toffee, enlivened as the acidity
becomes more racy.
Elegant and with potential.
www.craggyrange.com
2017 Mahi Marlborough
Chardonnay
Price: $29
Rating: Good to very good
A little wild funkiness, wild
yeast, matchstick and spice lead.
Full and creamy entry with
toasty oak in support and just
when you think it might be a
little soft, the racy acidity floods
in, giving this a mouth-puckering
lift.
Quite linear through the
mouth — as the matchstick subsumes
a little cheesiness grows
— though just a little short on
the finish.
www.mahiwine.co.nz
2017 Pegasus Bay Waipara
Chardonnay
Price: $43
Rating: Very good to excellent
Powerful struck match, wood
smoke and toast notes, adding
lactic hints and white peach. Real
acid drive to this giving brisk
freshness, leading with a bittersweet
citrusy element reminding
me of grilled grapefruit.
Fragrant top notes and a long,
mellow finish.
www.pegasusbay.com
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