2018 Nga Waka Chardonnay, Martinborough, New Zealand

White gold in colour, the nose shows ripe orchard fruits and restrained oak. The palate is broad textured and elegant, with peach fruit flavours and hints of oatmeal. Fine and poised.

Producer Information

Nga Waka (named after 3 hills which overlook Martinborough) is a small family owned winery, founded in 1988 by former diplomat Gordon Parkinson and his son Roger, producing wine from just 10 hectares of vineyard. Roger now runs the estate with his wife Carol and is a Roseworthy oenology graduate and has winemaking experience in France, which shapes much of the style here. Martinborough was one of the earliest planted regions in New Zealand and produces some of her most elegant wines. Nga Waka is an accredited member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Winemaking Note

Bunch pressed then barrel fermented in French oak barrique (28% new).  Monthly lees stirring over the 10 months maturation in oak.

Regional Information

Martinborough is a wine-producing area in the southern part of New Zealand’s North Island. The small town and surrounding district are home to around 1,500 residents and some of New Zealand’s most highly respected boutique wineries. Martinborough’s cool climate and excellent soils are perfect for the production of balanced, elegant wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Martinborough lies around 35 miles (55km) north-east of Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, in a wide river valley between the Rimutaka mountain range and the eastern Wairarapa hills. The Ruamahanga River meanders through the region on its way to Palliser Bay, 20 miles (32km) to the south.  The small viticultural sub-region of Te Muna is just east of Martinborough township itself, and Gladstone lies to the north-east.

Martinborough was established in the 1800s as a service post for the surrounding farmland, but wasn’t discovered as a prime site for viticulture until the 1970s. In 1978, a scientific report compared the climate of the region with that of Burgundy in France, and a few pioneering vignerons began to buy land around Martinborough. Nowadays, the bustling township has several dozen wineries in its vicinity.