Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay 2020 ~ Nelson, New Zealand

98/100 Bob Campbell
97/100 James Suckling
97/100 Tim Atkin MW
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson
96/100 Huon Hooke (2019 Vintage)
96/100 Bob Campbell (2019 Vintage)
94/100 Robert Parker (2019 Vintage)
94/100 James Suckling (2019 Vintage)
17/20 Jancis Robinson (2019 Vintage)
94/100 Robert Parker (2017 Vintage)
94/100 James Suckling (2017 Vintage)

Organic

Bob Campbell "(Formerly Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay) Neudorf's flagship chardonnay and a very favourable vintage raised my expectations to dangerous heights. I wasn't disappointed. A powerful, complex and perfectly balanced wine, with layers of citrus, floral, spice and savoury, mineral flavours supported by peppery phenolics and fruity acidity. Accessible now but with the potential to become even more complex with bottle age."

James Suckling "This has some very impressive complexity and composure with aromas of sliced peaches and nectarines, wet stones, hazelnuts and white flowers. The palate is very powerful and impressively composed, with a bracing core of fresh acidity sitting amid weighty, rich peach fruit. Gently spicy and creamy, this has seamless appeal and good weight on the finish. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap."

Tim Atkin MW "World Class Chardonnay, 97 Points"

The Winemaker "Although hand-picked under strict Covid 19 social distancing restrictions, it's the exceptional growing season & quality of fruit that shine in this bottle. A wine that for nearly four decades has led our Neudorf portfolio, the 2020 vintage is typically intense and elegant."

Huon Hooke "Light to medium-yellow colour, bright and youthful. The bouquet is restrained, refined and quietly complex with honey and lemon, grapefruit and toasted-nut aromas and flavours, the oak nigh invisible and the palate subtly complex, restrained but intense and lingering. A beautifully refined chardonnay." (2019 Vintage)

Bob Campbell "Flagship chardonnay with an attractively modified label and now called Home Block Moutere rather than Moutere. The product of a hot, dry vintage. Bright, crisp, high-energy chardonnay with grapefruit, citrus, oyster-shell, hazelnut, and subtle baguette crust flavours supported by tangy acidity. A youthful wine that deserves at least a couple more years in bottle to reveal its full potential" (2019 Vintage)

James Suckling "A very composed, complex chardonnay with aromas of peach, pear, lemon and hazelnut. Some honey and fresh bread dough, too. The palate is so powerful and tightly wound. Intense, vibrant peaches and lemons hold very long, ahead of the toasted-hazelnut finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap." (2019 Vintage)

Robert Parker "One of New Zealand's most consistently reliable, top-notch Chardonnays, the 2019 Home Block Moutere Chardonnay comes from vines planted in 1978. Barrel fermented and aged in 15% new French oak, it offers up scents of toasted grain and baking spices but backs those with impressively concentrated notes of white peach, pineapple, pear and lime. Those elements all merge seamlessly on the medium-bodied palate, which is plump and generous yet streamlined, with terrific line and length on the silky-textured finish." (2019 Vintage)

Neudorf Vineyards is arguably the most well-known producer in New Zealand's famous Nelson wine-growing region. Neudorf was founded in 1978 by Tim and Judy Finn, who experimented with what was then unknown wine territory, building a thriving winery that is now famous for its wines made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. The Finns were pioneers of organic farming in New Zealand and their wine-making philosophy is one of minimal intervention.

Nelson is a small, wine region at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, it enjoys a unique mesoclimate that is perfect for aromatic grape varieties. Wines made from Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer are considered to be some of the best in New Zealand.

Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays are made using oak and are produced in California, Burgundy, and Australia. Unoaked chardonnays such as Chablis and those produced in Chile, New Zealand, and other parts of France are leaner and often crisp and mineraly, with delicate flavors. By law, if a label says “Chablis,” it must be Chardonnay.