Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay

Formerly known as Church Road’s Reserve range they’ve given the wines a slick, stealth like black label and slapped the word “Grand” in the name, now known as Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay. It sits above the Church Road McDonald Series and below their iconic (and expensive!) Church Road TOM Chardonnay.

So that’s the marketing job done, what about the wine? Are they actually Grand? Are they what! These are sheer world class wines, up there with the best you’ll find in Hawke’s Bay. That’s why you’ll only find Church Road wines under this label released in exceptional vintage. Made from low-cropping vineyard blocks (to ensure more concentrated, ripe flavours), hand-harvested and produced using small batch, traditional techniques. Entirely hand harvested, whole bunch pressed with wild yeast and left to age for 11 months in French oak.

This label has been something of a magnet for the Golds over the years. The 2018 vintage won 7 Trophies and 7 Gold medals, the 2019 was Double Gold and 95/100 by Bob Campbell MW and the 2020 vintage made international headlines taking out an incredible 97 Points & Best In Show Award at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London. That means it was one of the top 50 wines from over 18,000 entered!

The 2021 vintage didn’t buck the trend winning Trophy Best New Zealand Chardonnay, Trophy Best New Zealand White, Trophy Best International Chardonnay at the International Wine Challenge in London! The 2022 was 96/100 Bob Campbell and Double Gold at domestic wine shows. The 2023 won Gold at The Global Chardonnay Masters competition in London among a swag of others top scores and Golds.

This is the new 2024 vintage and we’re expecting nothing less in the coming months and years!

A full-bodied style Chardonnay of real complexity that will make a stunning food match to seafood or white meats in a creamy sauce. Drink now to five years from vintage