Te Mata Estate Elston Chardonnay

Te Mata Estate Elston Chardonnay is hailed as one of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays. Heck, we wouldn’t wouldn’t disagree. This is a stunner every year and one we look forward to emptying a few bottles of upon release every vintage!

The 2019 is here, the 35th release of this famous label, and it’s another one to get excited about. This is the jewel in the crown for Chardonnay at Te Mata so they put their best foot forward on it every time you can be sure of that.

They showed their secret nerdy side naming this one “Elston”, named after Elston Hall in Nottinghamshire in the UK. It’s the ancestral home of Charle’s Darwin’s family. In their words, “Darwin’s ‘theory of natural selection’ forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory, the foundation of biology.” Sheesh, can we just enjoy a glass already?

Four of the last five vintages have scored 95/100 from Master of Wine Bob Campbell – but of this latest ’19 release Bob is giving it some seriously high praise. “One of the best examples of Elston that I can recall tasting.”

Lots of sweet stone fruit flavours and a moderately buttery finish. Drink it now or chuck some in the cellar and slurp away between now and five to six years from vintage and pair with seafood, poultry and soft, ripened cheeses.