Hunter’s Wines have taken home two Gold Medals at the International Cool Climate Wine Show 2017 for their Chardonnay 2016 and Riesling 2016.
The wine show, held in Australia, showcases cool climate wines from around the world.
As well as the two Gold Medals, Hunter’s took home two Silver Medals for the Pinot Noir 2015 and Sauvignon Blanc 2016; and four Bronze Medals for Unoaked Chardonnay 2016, Pinot Noir 2014, Kaho Roa™ Sauvignon Blanc 2016, and Pinot Noir Rosé 2016.
“Chardonnay is often overshadowed by the international success of Sauvignon Blanc but we’ve been producing Chardonnay from our first vintage in 1982, and have seen great results since, though styles have changed over the years,” says Jane Hunter. “We aim for an elegant style that is well integrated and which pairs well with some of my favourite foods – risottos, creamy pasta, and chowders. Riesling on the other hand is our quiet achiever collecting an array of awards since our first vintage in 1982. Gold medals reinforce our commitment to these varieties and our evolution of the styles.”
Chardonnay is a favourite wine of Hunter’s Chief Winemaker, James Macdonald. “Chardonnay has been an in-house project for the winemaking team in recent years,” he says. “Taking cues from the ‘next gen’, Chardonnay movement coming out of Australia, we used high solids in the juice, indigenous yeast and large format oak to produce a very complex wine. This gold medal shows that we are moving in the right direction. It really is an exciting time to be making premium Chardonnay in New Zealand.”
