The 2009 Chardonnay gives ripe peach and apricot aromas over notes of toast, orange blossom and oatmeal. Medium to full bodied, it has a pleasantly silky texture with a high amount of enlivening acidity and a long cedary finish. Drink it now to 2015+. No known USA importer.

The 2008 Chardonnay is Mendoza clone fruit and was barrel fermented in French oak, 12% new, using indigenous yeast and going through malo-lactic, maturing 12 months in barrel. It gives moderately pronounced peach and ripe apple aromas with some meal, toast and sulphide character. The medium to full bodied palate has medium-high acid and a medium-long finish. In short, it’s well made but just slightly lacking in mid-palate concentration and finish. Drink it now through 2014+. In the heart of Central Otago’s Bannockburn, Steve Green’s vineyards at Carrick may be teenagers, but are already beginning to provide a peek at just what they can produce. There are 22 hectare’s devoted to vines with the plantings taking place in 1994, 1996 and 1997. Jane Docherty has been the winemaker since 2008, taking over from Steve Davies.Owner Steve Green was in the process of negotiating with a new USA importer when I met with him.

Although I think the 2006 Chardonnay could have done without the 15% new oak on the nose, the palate has good weight and acidity with notes of grapefruit and passion fruit with a touch of hazelnut on the finish. Located in Bannockburn, Central Otago, on the Cairnmuir Terraces, on gravel/sandy soil rich in silica, the emphasis here is upon Pinot Noir complemented by Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay. Winemaker Steve Davis has worked in California and Oregon.Importer: Leucadia Cellars & Estates, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 403-5740; fax (415) 399-1045