The Keltern vineyard has long been one of New Zealand’s premier sites for top flight Chardonnay, with the wine having gained an impressive track record of awards through the years as part of Villa Maria’s Single Vineyard Collection. The 2021 release sees the wine move over to the Icon Range, with the gold script on a black label, alongside the Ngakirikiri Cabernet Sauvignon, now firmly in place as one of the flagship wines – only the very best examples of their varieties and terroirs, as well as testaments to the knowledge gained over decades of experience working these same sites.
 
A blind tasting held in 2022 amongst wine experts saw Keltern Chardonnay voted as the winner, ahead of Burgundy legends Coche Dury, Leflaive and Raveneau, and on tasting the 2021, it is easy to see why. It is very Burgundian in style, with a little reduction, showing waxy lemon and orchard fruit, flint and seashell, a little nutty, with considerable Meursault-like concentration on the palate and a long, saline finish. It is unctuous and juicy, and hides its 14.5 % alcohol very well. I wouldnt suggest you leave this in the cellar for more than a decade, but equally, it is so delicious already that i highly doubt you will!
 
Located east of Maraekakaho in Hawkes Bay, the Keltern vineyard sits on an ancient riverbed directly in the path of cool air currents flowing down from a mountain range that flanks it to the west. The maritime influence is buffered by the Ngaruroro River, making this a distinct, inland site, with silt loams layered over red metals and large gravel stones that promote draining. Richer soils and cooler temperatures justified the plot’s suitability for Chardonnay, unlike Hawke’s Bay’s nearby and better-known Gimblett Gravels sub-region, famous for its red wines.

Vintage 2022:  Spring conditions in Hawkes Bay started off fairly cool until November then the season warmed significantly resulting in a solid flowering in Chardonnay. The season had tracked warmer than the previous three vintages in terms of Growing Degree Days which saw good ripeness and flavour accumulating in the Chardonnay grapes. A significant rain effect in the form of an ex-Tropical low on February 6 followed by more rain a week later saw disease pressure increase in Hawkes Bay Chardonnay vineyards which had ripened early due to the warm season. To ensure clean fruit, the 2022 Chardonnay harvest was off to another early start with Keltern vineyard picking starting in earnest on the 24th of February, only 2 days later than the record early start of the 2021 vintage. Careful hand-harvesting and sorting of fruit enabled a minimal intervention winemaking approach, allowing Keltern’s unique characteristics to shine.