Babich Irongate Hawkes Bay 2010

Winery: Babich

Varietal: Chardonnay

Despite having its origins in western France, Chardonnay's immense popularity and flexibility quickly meant that before long, there wasn't a wine producing country in the world which wasn't investing in this fascinating and versatile grape varietal. Today, Chardonnays manage to win fine wine competitions and satisfy supermarket shoppers simultaneously, due to the fact that this grape varietal can take on many characteristics and features of where it is grown and how it is handled. Indeed, this green skinned grape is renowned for not having so much unique flavor within the fruit, but is very sensitive to the features of the terroir it is grown in, as well as to aging As such, it isn't unusual to find bottles of single variety Chardonnay wine described as holding notes of white stone, mountain waters, or other such geological features alongside the more predictable fruit descriptions This makes Chardonnay grape varietal wines an exciting world to delve into – full of surprises, full of delights.

Region: Hawkes Bay

New Zealand is a fascinating country when it comes to New World wines, and there are few wine regions within New Zealand with as much dedication to quality, heritage and history as that of Hawkes Bay, situated in the northern part of the northern island. In Hawkes Bay, wineries have been planting and processing fine imported grape varietals for over a hundred and fifty years, and making characterful and flavorful wines from the Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes which flourish under the hot sunshine and in the mineral rich soils which typify the region. The past couple of decades have seen much expansion in Hawkes Bay, and the seven sub-regions the bay is split into have all increased their production to meet growing international interest and demand.

Country: New Zealand

When it comes to New World wines, few countries can compete with Europe quite as well as New Zealand, where modern techniques and technologies are allowing wineries to get the very best results from the wide range of imported grape varieties which flourish there. The warm, sunny climate coupled with brisk oceanic winds and remarkably fertile volcanic soils produce grapes of exceptional quality, and New Zealand wines are notable for their ability to carry the terroir they are grown on into the bottle. Whilst the Sauvignon Blanc wines are probably the most widely exported and popular to come out of new Zealand, fantastic results have been produced from the Bordeaux style wines made in the Auckland region, and the Pinot Noir wines of Central Otago. These Pinot Noir wines are far more fleshy than their Burgundy counterparts, and are probably best enjoyed when young, and bursting with the fruit flavors they carry so well.