Marisco Chardonnay Kings Bastard 2010 750ml

Winery: Marisco

Varietal: Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

Region: Marlborough

The beautiful region of Marlborough in the north east of New Zealand's South Island is home to over fifty percent of the country's vineyards, and is most commonly associated with the production of fine white wines, the majority of which are made with the Sauvignon Blanc grape varietal. Since the 1970s, New Zealand has consistently proved that the Marlborough region is one of the most suitable places on earth for the production of high quality white wines, where the hot days and cold nights allow wineries to extend the ripening period for their fine grapes and get far more expression of flavor and terroir from their fruit. The region itself is ideal in other ways, too – the mineral rich soils and oceanic breezes assist in the health of the vineyards, and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietal grapes all manage to thrive there.

Country: New Zealand

New Zealand is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse countries in the world, and the wines which are produced there are a fine representation of this diversity and overall quality. With beautifully long and warm summers, a brisk oceanic climate and mile upon mile of gently sloping mountainsides, the vineyards which have sprung up there over the past century have brought about truly fantastic results, with wine now contributing a considerable amount to the economy of the country. In recent years, New Zealand wines have won some of the most prestigious awards available in the wine world, with most of the lauded wineries coming from the Auckland region, where there has been considerable effort to replicate the finest wines of the Bordeaux region of France. The Bordeaux grape varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) all flourish in the mineral rich soil of the region, and the results have been outstanding, marking New Zealand a strong contender for finest New World wine country.