The Ned Chardonnay

The Ned Chardonnay is made by superstar winemaker Brent Marris. You might know him better from his days crafting Wither Hills and formerly Oyster Bay. It’s slurped by wine lovers across all four corners of the globe.

So who’s Ned anyway? Well he’s tall and rugged, around 990 metres in height and you’ll find him down there in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley. Brent spent his youth in the area so when it came to thinking up a name for his new wine project he just remembered his childhood days biking and hiking in and around the summit of the peak that over looks the Pacific Ocean, The Ned.

Brent waffles on about his Ned Chardonnay being all “nectarine and kumquat aromas elevated by notes of sweet spice, vanilla and lightly buttered popcorn“. The kum-what?! We didn’t get any kumquat but we did get plenty of stone fruit and creamy, peachy fruit flavours.

Meanwhile Master of Wine Bob Campbell gave this 90/100 and a Top Value Award – he said “Fruit-focused chardonnay with white peach, grapefruit/citrus, vanilla, root ginger and a suggestion of spices. Richly textured wine supported by good acidity that gives the wine an appealing energy.”