Hoppers Garden Bar Three chardonnays

On this day in 1947 the Government tried raising the price of a beer on the West Coast to 7 pence. It did not go down well. Good chardonnay is worth every cent, however…

RAPAURA SPRINGS RESERVE MARLBOROUGH CHARDONNAY 2017 $22 This is one of those “Holy Nora, that’s good!” chardonnays that hits the sweet spot between fresh, frolicksome citrus and having truckloads of tropical tastiness. If you’re worried it might not be comfy enough, someone’s draped a pashmina shawl of lovely soft oak layers across it and provided a pillow of creamy nuttiness. Yes, I used the words “pillow” and “pashmina” in a wine review. Whatevs. Sip with: a wedge of oozing baked camembert. glengarry.co.nz TERRA SANCTA RIVERBLOCK CENTRAL OTAGO CHARDONNAY 2015 $25 Chardonnay from Central Otago is now one of my favourite things, I love how incredibly precise, pure and focused the fruit is. The winemaking team at Terra Sancta got it so right this vintage, hauling hefty amounts of white peach and that glorious butteredtoast-sprinkled-with-cinnamon sensation that I can’t get enough of in chardonnay. Sip with: baked bacon-wrapped chicken breasts. terrasancta.co.nz SPADE OAK VIGNERON GISBORNE CHARDONNAY 2015 $30 It’s wines like this that remind me of why Gisborne held the Chardonnay Capital crown for so long. It’s ripping with roast stonefruit and caramelised spices and has juicy pineapple and grapefruit layers in the mid-palate. The acidity is frisky and taut and there’s even a whiff of brulee to inject creamy complexity in to every sip. Sip with: classic chunky seafood chowder. spadeoak.co.nz Yvonne Lorkin