Coddington Chardonnay, Kumeu River 2023

The complexity and flintiness are so enticing, with sliced apples, lemons, minerals and gunpowder. Full-bodied, dense and intense, with subtle brioche, cooked lemon and apple notes. Racy and steely but with richness underneath. Some lemongrass. So complex. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The 2023 Coddington Chardonnay is sleek and polished. The fruit is on the kiwi fruit, almond meal and white peach end of the spectrum, and the fruit is lean. Tightly coiled acidity is gently embossed into the fruit; it is neatly packaged and very tight. The wine builds as it opens, and while the first sip was difficult to get a reading on, the ensuing interactions are juicier and more saliva-inducing. The restraint is attractive, and the back-palate weighting of flavor similarly makes for charming drinking. 12.6% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Sturdy, dry, burgundian nose. Very textural start with very slight oiliness towards the end. Already very broachable with a tiny hint of lemon cough sweets on the finish. Will surely develop more creaminess and less of a grainy texture. Still some tannins evident. 2026-2035.

I always love this wine and despite the vintage tribulations, the Coddington retains its signature vineyard character, one of generousness and exuberance. Ripe and rich, within the context of the vintage, more open than the tightly wound Hunting Hill. There is a little ripe stonefruit, some biscuit and cream. Drink from 2025 - 2030. Tasted: 5/5/2024.