5 Stars – Cuisine. One of only 7 that achieved 5 Star status out of 149 wines tasted.

“Fresh and clean with aromas of grapefruit citrus, meadow blossoms and herbal spice on the nose. The palate is well weighted with positive oak characters supported by a nutty complexity. This example manages to be generous without being heavy with an impressive depth of flavour.”

Gold Medal – Dish Magazine.  Ranked #6 in the tasting out of 178 top chardonnays across New Zealand.

“Roaring with smoked stonefruit and gun-barrel notes around a sweet citrus core, this super-tasty, Cairn Coghill-crafted chardonnay has been made with care and attention. Fresh, biscuity oak and lovely hazelnutty complexity combine with ballerina-like balance on the palate to create a delicious experience”

5 Stars – Wine Orbit, Sam Kim

“Complex and enticing, the wine shows apricot, rockmelon, lemon zest, and vanillin oak characters on the nose with a touch of flint. It’s wonderfully weighted and richly textured in the mouth, offering plush texture backed by bright acidity, making it splendidly structured and persistent. At its best: now to 2030.”

Winemaking Notes:

2023 Alchemy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay

The Alchemy 2023 Chardonnay was created from selectively hand-picked fruit, 100% clone 15, from a single vineyard site in Mangatahi overlooking the Ngaruroro River.   It was whole bunch pressed to French oak barrels for fermentation and aging on lees for 9 months. Full malolactic and with a 25% new French Oak component, this wine has beautiful generosity.

Tasting Note

Notes of white flesh nectarine delicately intertwine with the fragrance of honeysuckle, lively lemon zest and lime curd. Underlying flinty nuances interplay with the subtle complexity of sweet savoury oak spice. Juicy and concentrated, the palate is beautifully balanced, with creamy layers and a deliciously long finish.

13.0% Alcohol