Man O' War Valhalla Chardonnay 2021

Reviews

Cameron Douglas MS: 95/100.  There's a slight reductive quality, I like this - opens the bouquet up and is intriguing. Aromas of gun flint and wet pebbles, there's a saline quality with a seashell sea shore suggestion. Youthful, fresh, and equally distinctive on the palate, flavours of white fleshed fruits and citrus, Brazil nut and oak spices. Nice weight and impact, well made and lengthy. Best from late 2023 through 2027+.                

James Suckling (JamesSuckling.com): 93/100. Quince, ripe apple skin, and acacia followed by pistachios, almonds and a hint of beeswax. Medium- to full-bodied, crisp acidity with underlying sliced ginger notes on the palate and finish. Pungent and complex wine. Dry at the end with a slight oiliness. Drink or hold.

Bob Campbell, MW (The Real Review): 93/100. Rich, almost luscious wine with tropical fruits, peach, oyster shell and spicy oak flavours. Mouth-filling chardonnay with warming alcohol. Generously proportioned, with appealing complexity. Drink 2023 - 2030.

Tasting note

A classic Valhalla Chardonnay, the 2021 has a rich golden hue with masses of smoky, nutty, and savoury aromas balanced with citrus and stone fruits. The palate is equally rich and ripe with great palate depth balanced with vibrant citrus notes and a maritime freshness. The tannins are structured to complement the acid profile providing a salivating appeal designed to freshen the palate and allow the drinker to delve further into the bottle.

Aromas and flavours:

Additional information

Type: White wine from New Zealand

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay

Food match: Match with poultry, pork and veal dishes.

Alcohol: 14.5% vol

Wine style:  dry

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: contains sulphites

Vineyards: Gorse Laneway, Little Beast, Lone Kauri, Noises, Nikau, Puriri and Root-Rake, Waiheke Island, New Zealand. The 2021 Valhalla Chardonnay is hand picked off the steep dry farmed vineyards ranging from sheltered south facing clay hillsides to elevated and exposed volcanic sites.

Winemaking: All our Chardonnay parcels are hand harvested and bunch sorted in the winery before being macerated prior to pressing. Un-fined and with the solids mixed, the juice undergoes a spontaneous fermentation. The fermenting juice is then transferred to large format barrels for fermentation which is hot hard and fast peaking at about 32 degrees. The wines are left on gross lees in puncheon until Spring and are then sulphured to prevent Malolactic fermentation. After 11 months the wine is racked once to the blend.

Cellaring potential: 2027+

The Name Vahalla: The shining and golden hall in Norse Mythology where the souls of fallen Viking warriors chosen by Odin feasted with the gods, the name Valhalla is conferred upon the finest barrels of Chardonnay selected each vintage by winemaker Duncan MacTavish.

Produced and bottled by: Man O' War Vineyards, PO Box 1287, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140, New Zealand