Home > Media > Press Releases > ChardonnayHittingTopSpots

5 June 2009

Hawke’s Bay Chardonnays hitting the top spots

Accolades are flowing for Hawke’s Bay’s Chardonnays with makers of this white wine varietal winning favour in numerous competitions and prestigious tastings held around the world of late.

Most recently, Hawke’s Bay featured strongly at the International Chardonnay Challenge announced in Gisborne at the end of May, and in the Top Ten and Best Buys listings in Cuisine magazine’s 2009 Chardonnay competition released last month.

The region also received a back handed compliment from one of world’s leading Bordeaux enologists and former owner of Chateau Cos D’Estournel, Bruno Prats, who told  Masterclass attendees in London last month that his latest vineyard in Chile was developed after extensive research and analysis to find a site that most approximated the climatic conditions of Hawke’s Bay, such was his respect for the quality of our local wines.

John Buck from Te Mata Estate Winery said that to hear one of the most elite and respected members of the international wine community make such an assertion in a room filled with influential wine media and trade was “absolutely amazing.  He’s at the top of the tree.  His endorsement is the next best thing to a Royal Warrant.  It certainly made an impact.”

At the seventh annual International Chardonnay Challenge, four wines made from Hawke’s Bay fruit (wines need to be 85 percent from our region to be labelled “Hawke’s Bay”) featured in the Recommended Top Six Selection.  Of the seven New Zealand gold medal winners, four were from Hawke’s Bay, while of the 32 silver medals awarded nationwide, 12 were for local wines.

All up in the total medal scoop, 54 were awarded to Hawke’s Bay, 23 to Gisborne wines, 50 for those from Marlborough and 20 to wine from Nelson.   Chairman of judges Jane Skilton, Master of Wine, acknowledged the calibre of the winning wines by describing the event as “a local wine competition run to international standards”.

In the Cuisine annual competition, 204 New Zealand Chardonnays were considered by a high profile tasting panel headed by John Belsham, winemaker and owner of Foxes Island Wines, Marlborough.

Of the Cuisine Top 10, eight are from Hawke’s Bay while in the Best Buys listing, five of the eight are Hawke’s Bay wines.

The panel is quoted as saying that it was “struck by the quality of these fine Antipodean versions of Burgundy’s great white grape.”

A list of the winning wines in both of these competitions can be accessed here.

John Buck believes that Hawke’s Bay should be singing the praises of its Chardonnay more. 
“Our Chardonnays are world class and the industry experts are recognising that.”

ENDS
For further information contact:

Lyn Bevin
Executive Officer
Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Inc.
Phone 876 3418 or 027 621 7891

Back to Press Releases Index