Pegasus Bay, Chardonnay, Waipara

Golden with medium intensity of hue Soft baked green apple, honeysuckle among stack of hay, chalky, With some time and air, vanillin oak and buttery is more prominent, but did not lose any intensity. Medium body with higher acidity; Clean, yet pleasant green finish like herb/capsicum that lasts for a long 8sec+.

Test.

This wine has a medium gold colour. It has a medium+ intensity of baked lemon, lemon peel, honey, ripe pears, peaches and apricots as well as some lovely butterscotch, dairy notes. There is a minor note of reduction that blows off quickly. The wine is developing. The wine is dry with medium acidity, medium + alcohol, a medim+ intensity of very ripe pears, peaches, melon and some baked golden apple. Plenty of oak characters on the palate as well and …

Absolutely lovely wine; golden in colour, restrained oak; quite sweet. Seems to be at its prime.

I can't give a score because I am on the fence with this. Any time you buy a 5 year old chardonnay from the New World. you are taking a risk. I took a chance because of the high ratings and kept my fingers crossed as critics hailed it as age-worthy. On first taste I was a bit put off with the classic nose of oxidation and the taste was not much more re-assuring. I let it sit for awhile …

Bold nose of cool climate Chardonnay along with strong oak notes. Great concentration, moderate depth, and lots of oak. It showed best on the first day; oak dominated thereafter.

Moderate depth, beginnings of gold. Complex, non-fruity aroma: burnt matches, nutty. Well integrated palate, moderate weight, long flavours.

Bright lemon gold. Aroma notes: mealy, nutty wood, lifted fruit (peach stones?). Very dry with lots of linear, firm acidity. Flavours of ripe fruit (banana?) and slight creaminess. Front palate is soft with firmness from mid to end with hint of texture; slightly hot finish. Interesting, very good wine.

Smoky and mineral impressions in the bouquet as well as on the palate. Good balance between sweetness and acidity, but the fruit is a bit lost. Not sure if it will come back with some more ageing. I know this is Pegasus Bay style, but I wonder if it is a bit overdone in this wine. My score for today is 87.

12 months in barrel, 30% new. Vanilla custard nose, a bit of brioche. There's a hard sharp streak through this which I'm not enjoying too much, quite a long finish. I think this is lacking a bit of definition.