(2024) About one-third of this is Mendoza Clone grown on sandy silt soils. Whole bunch pressed into barrel with a mix of wild and inoculated ferments, it aged 10 months in barrels, 25% new, with lees stirring. It's one of the creamier, more substantially fruity of the 2022 selection, aromas touching on pineapple and mango with a lovely crushed oatmeal silkiness from the barrels. Very nicely balanced indeed between the lush fruit, toast and freshening mountain stream acidity.
(2024) Askerne's Reserve ramps up the oak character and the flinty complexity to excellent effect. Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed, partial wild yeast fermentation is in barrel, where the wine ages for 10 months with lees stirring. The final blend had 32% new French oak. Lovely melange of nuttiness, vanilla and that smoke trail of gunflint. The palate is joyous, brimming with ripe, creamy melon, moving to more tropical fruit, that cashew richness and undertow of flinty minerality all balanced by fine acidity.
(2024) There's no holding back with Church Road's Grand Reserve, whole bunch pressed and fermented and aged in French oak, it's creamy, nutty and toasty, flint and honey notes over ripe stone fruit. Quite full bodied, the suggestion of flintiness carries through to the palate, weighty and luscious peachy fruit never overwhelms, thanks to the bracing but generous line of acidity. The oak keeps that nutty subtext running into the finish.
(2024) Aged for eight months in French oak, this comes from coastal vineyards in Te Awanga, not far from the famous Kindnappers Cliff. A lemony, lightly oak-influenced style, there's a sheen of creamy oatmeal on the nose then that direct, fat lemony thrust of fruit. Mid-palate, there's a burgeoning sense of something more exotic about the fruit. Pink grapefruit asserts in the finish, for a stylish, fresh and delicious wine.
(2024) From the terroir of the Bridge Pa triangle, fruit was bunch thinned and harvested by hand. Basket-pressed straight to barrel, about 40% underwent malolactic with ageing for one year. Arguably more linear than some here, aromas are limey and nutty, but the palate has a cool, herb and citrus, mineral tension. That's relieved by creaminess of the barrels and the texture. Vibrant, cleansing and beautifully balanced in the end.
(2023) Whole bunch pressed, this was part barrel-fermented, followed by barrel maturation in 46% new oak for around one year. There's plenty of toast here, the flinty character is there too, if less overt than some, crunchy and nutty apple blends with that toasty barrel character. In the mouth real sweetness and juiciness of fruit. There's a big and tangy core of orange and lemon/lime acidity that is quite rounded but decisive. Along with that nutty undertow of the toasty oak, it's a textured and full, approachable style. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.
(2023) One of the most elegant and well-mannered wines here, not chasing too much 'flint' or sweet fruited ripeness. Interestingly, the only wine under natural cork and sealed with wax. This comes from 25-year-old vines planted on gravel in the Heretaunga Plains. Wild fermentation lasted three weeks and after malolactic fermentation it spent 10 months in mainly old french barrels. Baked apple pie, peach and lime aromas are rounded, clear and crisp. There's a light kaolin earthiness. In the mouth the fruit flits between limey, fat citrus and a more exotic nectarine and mango, but then the core of acid here powers through. The oak plays a very intelligent supporting role, never dominating but coaxing the wine into a lightly grippy, nutty finish.
(2023) Fewer than 600 bottles of this Chardonnay from the gravel soils of the Bridge Pa Triangle where made, the vineyard in conversion to organic farming. Fermented in French oak with wild yeast, it spent nine months on the lees and did not undergo malolactic. Gravelly and creamy at the same time, there's a touch of toasty hazelnut and plenty of ripe stone fruit and apple, and edge of flint. In the mouth there's a breadth and chewiness to the texture, the fruit still in that yellow plum and peach, and ripe juicy red apple spectrum. Good balance here, a lovely cleansing acid core, and a long finish showing just a hint of nuttiness and spice. No UK stockists at time of review.
(2023) Aurulent made the best of Hawke's Bay selection in 2019 and 2020, and I really like the wine both times. This 2021 follows up in style. Aged in French oak barrels for 11 months, 30% new, there's a touch of Brazil nut on the nose, a light yeasty film over ripe, but precise fruit, and yes, a flinty touch of leesy reduction to add some mineral tang. In the mouth there's plenty of flavour here: it's not shy or retiring, having a buttery and peachy sense of lusciousness on the mid-palate, but all the time the gently mealy and nutty oak, the firm citrus pith acid line and touch of grippiness to the texture anchor the wine in savoury style. And it's delicious.
