The 2007 Marlborough Chardonnay has a well-defined nose with wet stones, white flowers and a hint of honeysuckle, the palate good weight with a fine buttery, creamy texture that just lacks some definition and poise towards the finish. The 2005 Montana Marlborough Chardonnay Reserve is a 90% barrel ferment matured in 30% new oak. It has very good lift and definition, honeysuckle coming through again with hints of melted butter and petrol. The palate is oaky, very commercial in style but nicely balanced with a clean, buttery finish. Part of the Pernod-Ricard Group, this large-scale Marlborough-based producer will be known to many as “Montana” except those in the USA where it is marketed as “Brancott” to avoid confusion with the state. This is one of New Zealand’s most successful producers, with 1.4 million cases sold under the Montana name each year (see also Stoneleigh, also owned by Pernod-Ricard.) There are four ranges within their portfolio: the premium wines selected for the “Letter Series,” limited releases under the “Terroir Series,” then the more commercial ranges “Montana Reserves” and “Montana Classics”. Some I would describe as fault-free, dependable, commercial wines that slake the thirst of the masses however, the wines listed here certainly do merit inclusion, their intrinsic quality often equal to boutique wineries.Importer, Allied Domecq Wines, USA, Healdsburg, CA; tel. (707) 433-8268
粵公網(wǎng)安備 44030502006249號(hào)