Neudorf Home Block Moutere Chardonnay

The New Zealand White Wine of the Year winner! Wowzers, that is quite some gong when you consider the competition it’s up against!

Judged by Masters of Wine Stephen Wong and Jane Skilton for The Real Review this seriously good bottle of single vineyard, certified organic Chardonnay from the Moutere clays in Nelson took out the top spot.

Lovers of top shelf New Zealand Chardonnay will already know this famous Nelson label. To this day it’s the only NZ wine that Master of Wine Bob Campbell ever scored a perfect 100/100. That was for the 2014 vintage but make no mistake a decade on from that perfect score and it’s still the wine that’s proving itself as not only of this country’s best but a wine that could take on the very best from around the world.

Talking about that ’14 vintage Bob said “This is the first wine I have scored 100 points. It’s as good as some of the best white burgundy I’ve tasted. I love the wine’s impressive power. I love the way it delivers an array of citrus, chalky mineral, brioche and spicy oak flavours with consummate subtlety. I am sure that the wine will gain stature with age, but it offers great drinking now. Chardonnay with the “X” factor.”

Scoring 97/100 and the top white wine award for this latest 2024 vintage, Wong said “Undeniable quality and fine-tuned finesse here with a long life ahead. Great wine which will develop slowly in bottle into a grand, elegantly complex chardonnay if cellared carefully.”

International critic James Suckling also scored it 97/100 and said “This is so complex yet transparent and fresh at the same time, offering white peaches, jasmine, subtle white almonds and hints of turmeric and wet soil on the nose. The medium- to full-bodied palate is focused and long, with tense, almost spicy, ginger-like notes and a compact phenolic frame. Very long. A sophisticated wine.“

As for winemaker Todd Stevens and the Neudorf crew – they say “Classic, yet exquisitely modern. Still, yet alive with anticipation – the pause before the beat drops, the breath before a conversion kick: thrilling, confident, eternal. From mature vines anchored in Moutere clays, this Chardonnay moves in seamless waves – silky, harmonious and complete. Nori, white peach, cashew and pink pepper sit delicately alongside a subtle creaminess.”

“Each layer of this complex Chardonnay is subtly sculpted – from Stef’s meticulous work in the vineyard to Todd’s gentle handling in the winery. The result is Chardonnay in perfect balance: effortless, sophisticated, and self-assured.”

As usual global demand for this wine doesn’t even come close to what is available – so if you’re reading this and the out of stock notice isn’t up yet, what on earth are you waiting for?! This has the potential to cellar for up to a decade if you’ve got the patience to wait that long!