Consistently among New Zealand’s best Chardonnays Tim Atkin MW, UK 2017 Vintage
One of the joys of Chardonnay is its ability to produce excellent wine in a number of climates. We are usually considered a cool climate chardonnay producer but vintage 2018 produced a warmer summer than normal and the wine shows the ambidextrous ability of the grape and the maker.
The nose is richer, a tad more toffee and a little more generous than usual (warm climate) but the palate has the pure mineral and acid structure we expect from a cooler climate. The wine is greater than the sum of its parts, rich and flowing but still with the poise and deftness we expect from this chardonnays. Always elegant, always with the fingerprint of subtle barrel work, always with a flourish on the finish to refresh the palate. Look for vibrancy wrapped in a blanket of fruits (nectarine, granny smith apples,) add some comforting baking notes and finish with a noble exit of mineral and phenolics.
Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay has an admirable history and each year we are impressed by its consistency. Despite wild variation in climate and vintage idiosyncrasies the wine rises above all to deliver controlled and aristocratic allure. The 2018 vintage will be remembered as one of elegance, rather lithe in stature, and approachable.
Rich, concentrated, mouth filling chardonnay with a medley of fruit (stewed apple and peach) together with a collection of slightly more savoury flavours including roasted nut, hazelnut, brioche, sizzled butter and struck flint, mineral characters. I find the wine slightly broader and perhaps weightier than usual, although it retains vineyard identity and power. Should cellar well. Drink 2019–2027