Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2020

Reviews and accolades

New Zealand International Wine Show 2021: Gold.

Cameron Douglas MS: 95/100 & Top Wines of New Zealand 2021. Ripe tree and stone fruits, grapefruit and wood spices, fresh peach and mandarin peel, apple and blond tobacco. Excellent weight and richness, full-bodied mouthfeel with cashew and brazil nut butter flavours.

dish Magazine: Tasting Panel Chardonnay 2021 - Gold & Top 2.  With its lifted roast-peach aromatics, citrus complexity and creamy, nutty richness, this classically styled chardonnay had our judges smiling, nodding, sharing knowing glances and muttering muted "mmmms". "It's a very well-made wine, intriguing and showing fine complexity and palate weight," noted Cameron, while Rebecca loved its attractive textural elements. It's a truly delicious thing.

Tasting Note

Lemon zest and beeswax with a toasty, smoky character combine to give a lovely, tempting aroma. The palate has flavours of citrus and buttered toast balanced by a gentle acidity. A rich and weighty yet elegant wine.

Additional information

Wine type: White wine from New Zealand

Grape varial: Chardonnay

Alcohol: 14% vol

Food match: Full-flavoured seafood dishes, chargrilled white meats, roasted chicken dishes, pork, roasted vegetables especially pumpkin, creamy sauces, richer shellfish, coconut-based curries, risotto, slightly stronger cheeses such as English cheddar, sweetcorn, roasted capsicum and more.

Vineyard: Chaytors Road Vineyard, Marlborough, New Zealand. From a coastal vineyard where the sea breezes moderate temperatures, this block is situated on the banks of the Wairau Diversion. The silts and river stones combine with 16 – 20-year-old Mendoza clone vines to produce the perfect match.

Winemaking: The winemaking practices remain very similar from one year to the next. The grapes are hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed and the juice settled briefly before being racked to French oak barrels (22% new). The juice was fermented 'wild' and encouraged to undergo full malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked from barrel and blended prior to being bottled here at the winery some ten months later.

Residual sugar: 2 g/l

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: contains sulphites

Cellaring potential: until 2024+

Closure: Screwcap

Produced and bottled by: Lawson's Dry Hills Wines Limited, PO Box 4020, Redwood Village, Blenheim 7242, Neuseeland