Chardonnay is back
Rebecca TaylorThere are a few wines that I associate closely with certain people. One of my best friends and I have always shared a soft spot for Chardonnay. We each have a favourite and over the years this has evolved into a standing joke. These days we might catch up once or twice a year, and one of these wines will usually make an appearance. Mine is the Te Mata Elston Chardonnay, and his is the Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay. A couple of years ago we were at a restaurant in London and I spotted the Te Mata Elston Chardonnay on the wine list. It was 50 pounds, but I had to have it. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and all the more powerful when the product’s good.
I tasted recently the newly released Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2010. This vintage seemed particularly toasty, with notes of dried peel and a surprising amount of spiciness; this wine always means reliability and value for money for me. $37.50 - $39.00
After that it was pretty much obligatory to open some Ata Rangi Chardonnay. Sadly I didn’t have any Craighall on hand, but I could still indulge in nostalgia with the Ata Rangi Petrie Chardonnay 2009, more restrained than either its stablemate or the Te Mata, it’s more about fruit - The nose shows nectarines with a little squeeze of fresh citrus while the palate adds a smear of lemon curd, a light mealy nuance and minerality. $33.00.
For a taste of Te Mata’s excellent wines at an easier price point, you should try the Woodthorpe range of wines. I liked the Woodthorpe Gamay Noir 2011. Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais and produces lighter bodied, fruity wines. This vintage shows the classic bright fruit and silky texture with a light herbal note and is a surprisingly good match with spicy food if you don’t want to drink white wine. These wines normally retail at about $20.00, and if you see them for less than that, snap them up!









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