Te Mata Estate Chardonnay 2021

Classic scents of toasted hazelnuts and grilled peaches emerge on the nose of the 2016 Elston Chardonnay. It's completely barrel fermented and aged in a mix of used and new French oak, but this medium-bodied wine doesn't seem overoaked at all, as bright, citrusy beams of fruit shine on the long, elegant finish.

A rich and dense white with a fresh and lively backbone. Cooked apple and rosemary and olive oil undertones. Full and vivid. Exciting New World wine with an Old World sensibility. Drink now.

(all done in French oak, one-third new; vinified partly with wild yeasts; aged in barrel for nearly a year, finishing full malolactic fermentation, then kept a few more months in tank; nearly all Mendoza clone from California): Bright, light yellow. Aromas of ripe peach and grapefruit are sexed up by an element of smoky oak char. Boasts lovely intensity and depth of fruit, with bright acidity framing the strong citrus fruit and vanillin oak flavors. Finishes bone-dry, lemony and classic. Te Mata has made this wine since 1984 but only since vintage 1995 has it undergone full malolactic fermentation. In fact, technical director Peter Cowley noted that the earlier, pre-malo vintages may have had longer aging potential.