2024 Blank Canvas Reed Chardonnay, Marlborough

The Reed vineyard is located in the Central Wairau, where the Wairau meets the Waihopai River. Matured in new and seasoned French oak puncheons (40% new oak). The wine is bursting with peach and ripe pineapple, toasty oak that glimmers and gleams in glossy furniture lacquer and cedar spice. Yuzu curd and papaya flavours heighten with each sip. Oak amplifies the fruit yet still manages an energetic shift into creamy kefir in the mid-palate. Toast and honey. Persistent, zesty and warm, with excellent flavour length. A show-stopper.

95 points Shanteh Wale winecompanion.com.au

Strong, smoky, struck flint reduction dominates when first poured, requiring vigorous aeration to dislodge. The palate is sleek and saline with an incredibly tense acid backbone. It briefly opens with air to reveal grilled lemon, oyster shell and rosemary flowers before closing down with crushed rock and subtle cinnamon oak on the finish. Impressively concentrated yet taut young wine which will need time to absorb its reduction before it is ready for prime time. This is firmly in the modernist camp and will age gradually on its axis of acidity and austerity 22 Oct 2025 Drink 2026–2037

94 points Stephen Wong MW therealreview.com

There is a quiet confidence to the Reed Vineyard Chardonnay that perfectly reflects the philosophy behind Blank Canvas, the thoughtful project of winemaker Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker Thomson. Their aim has always been to explore Marlborough’s fine wine potential through single vineyard bottlings that speak clearly of site. Reed Vineyard sits in the cooler reaches of the Wairau Valley, where clay rich soils and a long growing season shape Chardonnay of depth, savoury detail and beautiful natural tension. Hand harvesting, wild fermentation and careful barrel ageing allow the fruit to unfold with authenticity rather than gloss.

A pale golden hue with green flashes hints at both ripeness and precision. Aromas build gently with white peach, grapefruit pith and lemon curd layered over roasted hazelnut, flint and subtle smoky oak. There is a struck match complexity that critics often highlight as a defining feature of this wine. The palate feels sculpted and textural, stone fruit and citrus flowing into creamy lees richness before tightening into a fine mineral line. A savoury saline edge and lingering spice bring impressive length and focus, showing why this cuvée consistently earns high praise from reviewers and collectors alike.

This is the sort of Chardonnay that rewards both attention and indulgence. Think grilled lobster with herb butter, roast chicken with preserved lemon, or wild mushroom tart enjoyed on a slow evening when time seems to stretch. Beautifully expressive in youth yet built to evolve for eight to twelve years, developing deeper nutty, honeyed and brioche like complexity. A benchmark Marlborough Chardonnay that continues to cement Blank Canvas as one of New Zealand’s most exciting modern producers.