HAWKE'S BAY  Chardonnay Reserve 2022    95 points - Wine Orbit, Sam Kim  94 points - CamDouglasMS.com, Cameron Douglas MS  93 points - The Real Review, Bob Campbell MW  Winemakers Comments:  In youth, this concentrated wine is pale in the glass and displays aromas of  ripe stone fruit, citrus flowers, and grilled nuts. Natural barrel fermentation  influences have created flinty complexity and the finish is driven by a generous  palate and succulent acidity. Cellar this wine with confidence for up to 5-8  years from vintage.  Vintage:  The 2021 vintage was highly regarded with a warm and dry summer that  kicked off with the earliest Hawkes Bay Chardonnay harvest ever and allowed  fruit to be picked at optimum ripeness without any disease pressure. This wine  features a sensational collection of Hawkes Bay sites which are fastidiously  managed to produce Reserve quality Chardonnay.  YIELD: 2.75-3.85 hl/ha  SOILS: Free draining gravel and silt loam  VINES: Mendoza (60%), Cl15 (28%) and 548 (12%)  The grapes for this were grown on the Kokako Farms vineyard in Ohiti Valley  (36%), the Te Awa Vineyard (35%) and the Keltern vineyard (29%) located on  the Heretaunga plains.  Hand harvested on different dates the various clones and sites provided an  exciting array of blending options. Gentle whole bunch pressing allows for the  finest quality of juice to be run directly into French oak barriques for natural  fermentation. Once complete the individual parcels matured on yeast lees  with regular battonage for up to 14 months. The finest barriques were then  identified and blended and the wine was aged for an additional 6 months on  full lees in stainless steel tank before preparation for bottling.  Technical Details:  VARIETIES: 100% Chardonnay  ALCOHOL: 14.5%  PH: 3.25  TOTAL ACIDITY: 6.7g/l  RESIDUAL SUGAR: 1.7g/l  FERMENTATION: Natural  BARREL TYPE: French Oak (40% new)  MATURATION: 14 months in barrel, 6 months in tank.  BOTTLED: December 22nd, 2022