Allan Scott Black Label Chardonnay 2025

Allan Scott Black Label Chardonnay is a richly styled Marlborough Chardonnay with white peach and nectarine at the centre, framed by brioche, toasted barrel notes and a nutty cashew edge. Fruit comes from the family's Omaka Vineyard in the Central Wairau Valley, where free-draining stony silt loams over gravel help deliver concentrated flavour. The 2025 was fermented entirely in French oak and spent a year in barrel, building richness around its ripe stone-fruit core. If you enjoy Chardonnay with generous fruit and a clear touch of oak, this is an easy one to reach for. Match it with creamy pasta or a hearty seafood chowder.

What the winery says:

The Chardonnay was picked in the cool of the morning from the Omaka Vineyard in the Central Wairau Valley. Small bunches and tiny berries from the site's free-draining soils provided concentrated fruit, which was pressed before the cloudy juice was fermented entirely in French oak barrels. The wine then spent a year ageing on lees in barrel before blending and bottling. It is 100% Chardonnay at 13.5% alcohol, with 2.0 g/L residual sugar. The winery describes brioche and toasted barrel aromas, with white peach, nectarine and cashew on the palate. The wine is also confirmed vegan.

What the experts say:

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 93 points (2024)
“Beautifully fruited and inviting, the wine shows golden peach, baked fig, vanilla and roasted hazelnut characters on the nose. It’s equally attractive on the palate, delivering lovely weight and roundness together with creamy mouthfeel and well-balanced acidity, leading to a long delectable finish.”

Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, 92 points (2024)
“Weighty, silken-textured chardonnay with peach, quince, caramel and subtle spicy oak flavours. A mellow wine that is nicely underpinned by fruity acidity. A struck-flint character adds complexity.”