Chardonnay '16 ★★★★ - 'Finely balanced for early drinking, this fragrant, fleshy wine has vibrant grapefruit and peach flavours to the fore, a gentle seasoning of biscuity oak and a slightly buttery finish.'

'If there was Kiwi wine aristocracy, Te Mata would be it. Nestled in the foothills of the Te Mata heritage zone, they make some of the best wines in the country. Independent, family-owned, exclusively Hawke's Bay, and committed to making premium wine on site.'

Estate Chardonnay '15 - ...'Good intensity and balance and a clean dry finish.' 87/100

Chardonnay '14 - 'A quiet-spoken chardonnay, the elegant nose shows white stone fruit, citrus and creamy notes, followed by a linear palate that is fine and taut with lovely mid palate weight and beautifully integrated acidity. It is long, silky and harmonious. At its best: now to 2018.' 90 points ★★★★★

Chardonnay '14 ★★★★ - 'Bright, even straw-yellow colour with slight hints of gold. This is very tightly bound and elegantly proportioned on the nose with fresh aromas of citrus fruit and white stonefruits and lifted yellow floral elements. Dry, tight and near austere, the palate features an amalgam of stonefruits, citrus fruits and nuts at the core. The palate is fine-textured and cut by crisp acidity leading to a tight, dry finish.'

Awatea '14 - '2013 was an outstanding vintage for New Zealand's answer to the Médoc and northern Rhône rolled into one: Hawke's Bay ... 2014 is thought of as potentially even better than the outstanding 2013.'

'My benchmark. Te Mata Estate is the standard by which every other wine producer could be judged. The full range of styles has always been impeccable.'

Chardonnay '13 - 'A restrained style, the bouquet shows elegant aromas of white stone fruit, rockmelon and almond, leading to a succulent palate that’s poised and refreshing. Stylish and sleek.' 90 Points

Chardonnay '13 ★★★★ - 'Very pale straw-yellow colour with slight green hues. The bouquet is broad, but restrained with aromas of ripe white stonefruits, citrus fruits along with nuances of butterscotch ... the palate has good richness of mouthfeel and lively, crisp acidity.' 17.5/20

Chardonnay '13 - 'This young ‘fruit forward’, lightly oaked wine is a pale citrine hue with delicate stonefruit aromas and tropical and stonefruit flavours with banana-like esters that will integrate with a little more time. While initially fresh and zingy the underlying mealy flavours become bolder on the finish with a touch of butterscotch and oatmeal coming through.'

Cape Crest '12- 'This is as good as it has always been. A beautifully aromatic wine showing dill, grapefruit, green apple and flint, together with a superbly concentrated palate that’s linear and racy. Needs time to show its best but it’s very promising. At its best: 2015 to 2020.' 93 points ★★★★★

Chardonnay '12 - 'Fresh, up-front peach and pineapple aromas show on the nose, and there’s no shortage of flavour on the acid-fresh palate.'

Chardonnay '11- 'A complex, flavoursome offering while remaining delicate and restrained, showing white peach, floral, cream and almond notes on the nose, leading to a focused palate with fine texture and bright acidity. The wine shows lovely pure fruit characters with a silky palate, making it a charming wine to drink over the next three years.' 90 Points

'Bright, very pale straw colour with slight lemon-green hues, pale on rim. The bouquet is tight and elegant , quite slender in expression, showing citrus and yellow stonefruit aromas along with nuts and buttery MLF unfolding as subtle layers, and building with depth. Medium bodied, the palate is tightly bound, with citrus-like fruit and butterscotch MLF notes featuring. Bright, firm acidity adds a steeliness to meet the creaminess of barrel-ferment and MLF conversion. The firmness results in linear drive and a tight textural line.' ★★★★

"A magnificent beauty."

Chardonnay '10- 'A harmonious wine with ripe grapefruit characters enriched with biscuity oak and very good richness and complexity.'

'Te Mata Estate - Four stars out of four. Grand and prestigious. Especially good within it’s price range.'

'A vibrantly fruity Hawke's Bay wine with fresh, strong, stone-fruit flavours, showing barrel fermented complexity.'

Chardonnay '08 - 'Chalk dust, lemon curd, green lemon and a scintilla of vanillary new oak. Soft, seductive and very approachable.'

'Light straw yellow with golden hues, this was a beautifully elegant expression of harmony with peach, grapefruit, mealy and some malolactic aromas and flavours. The freshness of the wine indicate good life ahead. Some tasters saw a fine Puligny-Montrachet style.' 19/20

'This is an attractive wine displaying subtle matchstick aromas with creamy nutty notes and a lingering palate in which the varietal sweet fruit is beautifully balanced by the dry, lemony acid. Brilliant winemaking at this price.' Highly recommended

'Second-tier label providing great quality wines at a great price. Full-bodied and elegant with underlying flavours of citrus, pineapple and nougat.'