May 7, 2023 - 淡柠檬色，刚开瓶时就能感受到橡木桶影响明显的奶油味，酒泥接触的还原气息有些突出。醒酒两个半小时（其中醒酒器一小时），闻起来是淡淡烟熏，奶油饼干，柠檬，白花和奶油香气，入口酸度中高，酒液咸，口中回甜，残糖明显，青色水果，植物气息，混合着奶油冰激凌的香气，白花的辛辣感，酒体不轻，后段回苦明显，有些许酒精感，醒酒器处理后口感稍微柔和了一些，余味有焦糖的甜。重桶风格的一款酒，香气直接，酒风强劲，酒液回甜明显，香气很有特点，但口感欠缺一些优雅，这个年份有明显过热的感觉。
May 17, 2022 - Notes on Con's wines served double blind (Wellington, NZ): Tasted double blind. Back on track here I thought with a young but good 1er white Burgundy. Most tasters had this wine as a Meursault, which seemed about right to me ... Anyway, a lovely nose of white florals, flinty notes, poached pears, spices, vanilla pod and blanched almonds. Creamy and mineral orchard and citrus fruit on palate with excellent mealy structure and mouthfeel. Large scaled but very drinkable. Sufficient acidic line and length. Once it was revealed as a NZ Chardonnay, Block 2 seemed a natural but I thought it might be from the top Chardonnay vintage of 2017. I was pleasantly surprised that the wine was from the very warm 2018 vintage. Winemaker Blair Walter - who I know began picking that year at a record early date before the end of February or very beginning of March! - did brilliantly here to retain this acidity and freshness! 92+.
January 29, 2022 - This is a great new world chardonnay. The nose is quite burgundian with elements of minerals and stone fruits. As it warms up, it becomes full bodied with a buttery and oily finish which I did like. Maybe perhaps didn't have the greatest complexity and the biggest difference between this and the better French examples would be this doesn't quite have as high acidity. But overall a great wine. Would be keen to try these wines at age 5-10.
January 14, 2022 - 2019 Visit to Cromwell (Central Otago, NZ): No new oak, 25% of one to four year old barrels. Mineral-led bouquet with Meyer lemon, pear, cream and almond croissant. On palate, stony and chalky minerality, lemons and limes. Zippy acidity. Tactile and creamy mouthfeel. Preferred over the Block 6, looking very good.
July 20, 2021 - Lovely Chardonnay, was quite closed on opening and needed some time in the glass. Quite delicate, soft floral notes, honeysuckle and almonds, oak well handled and very complementary. Some light citrus notes, refreshing, smooth and well integrated. I can imagine it might develop a little more complexity but really good right now.
June 2, 2021 - The wine is clear, with pale lemon color, and thick legs.
On the nose the wine is clean, with medium aroma intensity of ripe white fruits, melon, peach, pear, fresh cut grass, yeasts, honey, oak spices, white flower blossom.
On the palate the wine is dry, with medium plus acidity, medium plus body, medium alcohol, medium plus flavor intensity of lemon pie, mineral notes, floral notes, green apple, pear, lemon zest, white flowers, hints of unripe green tropical fruit.
The wine is of a very good quality, due to its length, and complexity. It is youthful and mostly herbaceous at time of tasting, but showing its potential, which can be reached with further aging.
June 2, 2021 - Tasting Ground official tasting, Felton Road part 2: 2018 The Whites (Oinoscent): Mendoza clone Chardonnay from Block 2 was whole bunch pressed and flowed immediately (without settling) by gravity to barrel in the underground cellar. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in seasoned French oak (no new oak) was followed by a long and complete malolactic over the spring and summer. After 16 months in barrel the wine was racked to tank for bottling in late-August 2019. The wine was not fined or filtered.
The wine is much more dense than Bannocburn tried before. The wine shows density, heavier oak presence, nutty.
The palate is smoother than expected, high acidity, smoky, mineral, very young and fresh, long linear finish.
Would be interested to see this next to Puligny
November 1, 2020 - It is nice, good, enjoyable. But I would expect more.
July 25, 2020 - Should probably rest for 2-3 years more