Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2024

Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay is sourced primarily from the Tuki Tuki Vineyard, planted by Tom McDonald in the 1960s on a gentle slope above the Tuki Tuki River, blended with fruit from the Terraces and Omarunui vineyards for extra richness and texture. Zesty citrus and citrus blossom lead the nose this vintage, with riper stone fruit sitting underneath for depth, all wrapped in complexities of roasted nuts, toasted brioche and a wisp of smoky, struck-flint character. Full-bodied yet lifted, the palate carries fresh acidity and a spine of slate-like minerality through to a long finish. Built to drink well now, it also has the structure to age gracefully for five years or more.

What the winery says:
Hand-harvested and hand-sorted, the fruit was gently whole-bunch pressed straight to French oak barriques with no clarification or additions. Wild primary and malolactic fermentation followed, adding complexity and textural interest, with 33% new oak used to build depth without dominating the fruit. The wine matured on full yeast lees in barrel for around 11 months before being unfined and only lightly filtered ahead of bottling. Already drinking exceptionally well, it's expected to mature gracefully for five years or more from vintage date.