Kumeu River Rays Road Chardonnay

The second vintage of Rays Road continues to mark its difference from the Auckland sites. This Hawkes Bay Chardonnay is cool and lightly smoky, with finely etched citrus and white pear getting a slightly saline edge. The palate is cool and mineral, with sappy fruit and a little creaminess in the background. Cool and precise, this is elegant and fine like a Chablis, with crisp acid driving through to a long finish. It is the most approachable wine in the line-up this year