2022 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay

The 2022 Chardonnay is powerful and texturally a little slippery, with a rambunctiously peachy palate with notes of nuts, nougat and stone fruit. The acidity is tense, which works well in the context of the ripe fruit, but the wine retains its opulent style throughout. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Full screwcapped bottle 1,328 g. Drawn from vineyards from all over the region, both Wairau and Southern Valleys, with Mustang, Brookby, Valhalla and Widows playing a significant part. Disease pressure was much higher than during the previous three vintages. Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, spontaneous fermentation and aged for 11 months in French oak barrels with 100% malo. Bright acidity is the dominant impression on the nose, well-mannered fruit and a dry, chalky finish on the palate. This is a well-balanced bottle to order with impunity (if you can be confident of storage conditions) in the most obscure restaurant or hotel but you could almost certainly find something more interesting at this price in a place with a real interest in wine. (JR)