Winemaker Notes
Pair Mt. Beautiful Chardonnay with roasted chicken, salmon dishes, Coquille St. Jacques, and a playful perspective about life.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Somewhere between honey and lemon in color, this Chardonnay shows off much of what is so good about the North Canterbury region. The nose is sunny and bright with tropical and stone fruit backed by nutty, toasty and floral aromas. The medium-bodied palate is focused with chalky textured but slippery fruit weight. Lifted acidity and bright fruit add tingly tangy character. Drink over the next few years on its own or with food.
Editors' Choice -
Wine Spectator
Elegant, with pear and peach flavors that are light and effortless on a supple frame. Practically weightless, but not lacking in intensity or vibrant acidity, with notes of white flower lingering on the finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Mt. Beautiful Chardonnay shows us that New Zealand competes well in this varietal wine category. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright, zesty, and nicely balanced. Pair its mineral and stone fruit aromas and flavors with baked chicken in a fragrant white wine reduction sauce. (Tasted: September 18, 2019, San Francisco, CA USA)
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
On the central eastern coast of the South Island, Canterbury includes a collection of small and varied subregions. The region is cool and dry with low rainfall and light, infertile soils. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are well-suited here, with Pinot Gris coming in third place.