Greystone Wines, Erin's Waipara Valley (New Zealand) Chardonnay, 2020

I will start with the bad news: Greystone wines are not imported into the United States.And they would not be budget wines if they were. Our tasting at the winery on the south island of New Zealand, however, confirmed to me that Greystone wines represent thre essence of what I consider artisanal. As the winery puts it: "We believe true fine wines are temporal, each vintage a fleeting snapshot of a place in time. We don't seek to manipulate the final product with additives or flavourings--instead we allow a true interpretation of the soil, vines and season to shine through." The woman who led us through our tasting of three "reserve wines" mentioned again and again the challenges faced by vines on the limestone/clay soil and the cool climate. That is good, she told us. We seek quaality, not quantity.

Erin's Chardonnay comes from high slopes planted to the Mendoza clone. Following what the winery considered an ideal summer for Chardonnay, the grapes were handpicked, then given 100% whole bunch pressing, wild fermentation, full malolactic and aging in French oak barriques (40% new) for 16 months. The result is a very special Chardonnay indeed.

Medium deep, bright yellow. Lime, butter, minerals. The oak has given it a richness with no sacrifice of vibrant, acid-driven fruit. Layers and layers of complex flavors and smells. More like Oregon than French or California Chardonnay. This wine sells at the winery for $135NZ (about $80US), and it is worth every penny.

Later in the day, with lunch and dinner, Donna and I sampled Greystone's regular (lower priced) Chardonnays from 2019 and 2018. Both were very good.