2023 Te Kairanga John Martin Chardonnay, Martinborough

Pleasing whiffs of mixed stone fruits, nougat, vanilla cream, touches of toffee apple, a shake of mixed brown spice and a breezy whiff of sea spray over the lot. Supple texture, a starburst of lemon-lime and brine at its core. Lots of layers to the wine, a reserve, too, and a sense of pedigree overall. Drink to 2032.

94 points & Special Value Mike Bennie for Halliday Wine Companion, February 2026

A very linear and mineral-edged chardonnay with aromas of lime peel, lemon blossoms, grapefruit and pastry. The medium-bodied palate has a racy acidity and an underlying tension and power that will unravel nicely with time in bottle. Well-constructed. Drink or hold.

93 points James Suckling, March 2025

Lightly perfumed nose of seaspray, flint, green apple and lime blossom in a very modern style. The palate is elegant and racy with light-weight fruit traced across the zingy, saline acid spine before tightening up on bony, chalky phenolics. Subtle, quiet style with floral and talcum notes. Some near-term development potential but not one to keep for long. Drink to 2030.

91 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, September 2025

The John Martin wines are premium reserve selections made from estate grown fruit. This elegant Mendoza-clone wine comes from the rather challenging, cool and wet 2023 season on the North Island during which the viticultural team at Te Kairanga must have been putting in long hours to get ripe fruit in good condition to the winery.

About this producer

The 1984-established Te Kairanga is the largest producer in Martinborough and today in the folds of California-based Foley Family Wines-group along the neighbouring Martinborough Vineyard.

The roughly 100 hectares of estate vineyards are split between two sites on the prime alluvial gravels of Martinborough Terrace and two cooler, elevated inland sites. Fruit from these is supplemented by leased holdings, while some parcels are shared with Martinborough Vineyard.

The large selection of Pinot Noir clones are responsible for almost two-thirds of the production, with smaller amounts of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The Pinot-wines tend to stylistically be somewhat plusher and richer than those from the immediate neighbours, with winemaking currently under the direction of John Kavanagh.