freshness carries the palate. A hint of stony mineral on the finish. A nicely balanced wine, not too rich, but well-rounded; ripe but fresh enough. 2024–27. | 87


2019 Coddington Chardonnay


Full and ripe, a touch tropical, with exotic notes of rambutan on the palate. Seems quite soft, probably because the richness is enveloping the acidity. I’d like to see more energy. This rather let down the 2019 flight, as it now feels a bit flabby. So, a slightly lower score. 2024–27. | 86


2019 Hunting Hill Chardonnay


This glides onto the palate. Super-silky and elegant, threaded with fine acidity. I do like this streamlined and finely woven wine. Sparkles on the finish, which is persistent. Of the single- vineyard wines, this offers the greatest finesse. A filigree wine, with light showing through. A close call by comparison with the 2020. 2025–32.| 93-94


2019 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay


This show more evolution than the Hunting Hill on the aroma, but it is still very compact and dense on the palate. Of the two vintages, the 2020 Mate’s Vineyard has the edge, thanks to its vigor and persistence. 2026–32. | 93


FLIGHT 2: 2014 AND 2013 VINTAGES Paul remarked, “Like 2019 and 2020, 2014 was always generous and approachable and has remained the same. The wines show the bottle-development we expect to see with the 2019s and 2020s. 2013 was another excellent vintage, but very small due to a frost—Maté’s and Hunting Hill are the most vulnerable. We flew helicopters in 2013, but there was no inversion layer, so this had no effect, and we had just one third of normal production. [Following this, a frost-fan was installed.] But the summer was one of the best, and the wines were always intense and concentrated, including the acidity. They were tough and austere on release, but with bottle-age, they came out.” I quite like the 2013 Estate and Hunting Hill, but this vintage is hard-core and, some may feel, a little too severe. 2014 is generally much easier as a vintage.


2014 Estate Chardonnay


Honeyed aroma. A touch of oxidation on the palate, which has leaned out maybe too far, but the wine is still pleasant enough, with a lightly salty character on the finish. | 85


2014 Coddington Chardonnay


Golden hay and grilled macadamia nuts. This certainly has an alluring aroma. Richly rounded and glossy. Quite weighty, full-bodied and sumptuous. It’s a showy, rather than a refined, wine, but it is now ten years old. Jolly pleasant, but I won’t keep it much longer. | 87-88


2014 Hunting Hill Chardonnay


What’s notable about Hunting Hill is its stability and longevity. There is not much aromatic evolution on the 2014 or 2013; the 2013 is maybe more citrusy. Gorgeous fruit; a straight yet rich palate, with a cut of acidity that carries the finish on a thread of brushed steel. Fully mature, but no hurry to drink this over the next three or four years. | 92-93


2014 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay


Compact and powerful, this has real tension. Punches into the finish and demonstrates just how well Maté’s ages. I definitely prefer the 2014 to the 2013. I can see this evolving over another five years. | 93-94


2013 Estate Chardonnay


I prefer this to the 2014 estate. There is still some energy and a last, dying flush of fruit to balance the steely edge. | 87


2013 Coddington Chardonnay


A lot more evolved on the aroma than the 2014 Coddington, grilled nuts and toasty notes combining with a herbal note. Zesty spring on the attack; a lively palate, straighter and a lot more austere than the 2014. But it’s very disjointed. | 86


2013 Hunting Hill Chardonnay


This is leaner than the 2014, a whiplash across the palate; tight and edgy and quite severe on the finish. Not for the faint-hearted, but if you like


intensity and acidity, this is a cracker and maybe a touch longer than 2014. I like it. Now until… who knows. | 93-94


2013 Maté’s Chardonnay


This is quite severe. Very compact and intense. I find this a little harsh and it doesn’t quite have the follow through, so I would not keep it longer. The 2014 is definitely better. | 92


FLIGHT 3: 2010 & 2007 VINTAGES Like 2013, 2010 was affected by frost, and the crop was only half the normal size, but the summer was good. “2007 a was colder vintage, especially at budburst and flowering. It was dry but not very warm. Like 2013, it was always fresher, and in the citrus rather than the peachy spectrum,” remarked Paul. I found the 2010 Estate and Coddington


Chardonnays past their best, while the 2010 Hunting Hill has a juicy palate with plenty of energy and is surprisingly fruity. It’s worth noting that Hunting Hill was replanted in 2001, so these wines come from quite young vines. I am really impressed with this vineyard, but the pick of the 2010s is Maté’s.


2010 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay


Compact, dense, and punchy on the palate. It’s savory and quite austere. The miso finish is strong and persistent. | 94


2007 Estate and 2007 Coddington


These are fully mature wines, but fresher and seemingly holding better on the mid-palate than the 2010s. I like the nutty Coddington, which has a hint of marmite to finish.


2007 Hunting Hill


A little weaker on the nose than the 2010, but the palate is still singing. Sweetness, brightness, brisk acidity, and lively energy. Pure and still citrusy. A touch saline to finish. | 91-92


2007 Maté’s Vineyard


Still super-vibrant. Punchy and bold on both nose and palate. The mid-palate is dense and layered. This wine will continue to evolve. Pushes through into an assertive finish. It has much more depth and persistence than the (young-vine) Hunting Hill. | 94


FLIGHT 4: 2004 & 2002 ESTATE AND MATÉ’S I didn’t like the faded 2004s very much. The 2002s were much more interesting. We tasted them under both screwcap and cork. The Estate wine under cork was faulty, but the screwcap version was bright, straight, and salty—not bad at all. Under cork, Maté’s Vineyard was much more evolved and toffee-ish, while the screwcap bottle was generous and still had plenty of oomph. “We don’t recommend people keep the wines this long,” said Paul. “They cross into secondary aromas and textures, and personally I would drink the wines earlier.” As would I.


THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025 | 87


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