Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Chardonnay 2023

Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Chardonnay brings together ripe Hawke's Bay fruit, polished oak and a bright savoury edge. White peach, lemon and roasted cashew lead into a creamy, finely textured palate, with confit citrus, subtle toast and a long, flinty dry finish. This 100% Chardonnay draws on fruit from the Two Terraces vineyard in Mangatahi and the Omahu vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels, giving Smith & Sheth plenty of regional character to work with. Rich enough for roast chicken yet fresh enough for baked fish, it is a smart New Zealand Chardonnay for drinkers who like flavour, texture and restraint in equal measure.

What the winery says:

The 2023 is 100% Chardonnay, hand harvested in mid-March from the Two Terraces vineyard in Mangatahi and the Omahu vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels. The fruit was whole-bunch pressed and barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts in new and aged French oak barriques and puncheons, with 53% new oak and 60% malolactic fermentation. It matured for 11 months in barrel with a small amount of lees stirring, followed by a further six months on lees in tank before bottling. The winery describes lemon, oat biscuit and white peach aromas, moving through grilled peach, roasted cashew, French oak and a long, savoury, dry finish.

What the experts say:

Nick Ryan, The Australian Weekend Magazine, 95 Points (2023)
"A wine of precision and quiet energy. Green apple, preserved lemon, peach and tarragon. A whiff of wild honey and dried chamomile."

Candice Chow, Candice Wine Chat, 94 Points (2023)
"A bold structured Chardonnay flaunting toasty barrel details, integrated elegant fruit and enlivening acidity glide along a creamy mouthfeel and stone minerals."

Cameron Douglas MS, 93 Points, Excellent (2023)
"Another excellent expression of Chardonnay from the SS team, aromas and flavours of peach and grapefruits, whipped cream with a lactic quality."