Tiraki Chardonnay 2023

Tiraki Chardonnay 2023 is a refined, single-vineyard Chardonnay from Marlborough’s southern valleys, crafted entirely from estate-grown fruit. Marrying New Zealand’s vibrant cool-climate freshness with Burgundian-style texture and complexity, it offers a polished, modern expression of the grape. The name “Tiraki” – Māori for “clearing of the sky” – pays tribute to the local Māori name for Marlborough, “Kei Puta te Wairau” or “Hole in the sky over Wairau”, and reflects the family’s deep roots in the region and their optimistic, forward-looking philosophy.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, Tiraki Chardonnay 2023 shows a bright, pale straw colour with youthful green glints, hinting at its freshness and energy. The nose opens with pure citrus – lemon cream and lime zest – layered over ripe stone fruits such as nectarine and peach. With a gentle swirl, more complex notes emerge: subtle toasted oak, vanilla bean and a touch of roasted nuts, all finely integrated rather than overpowering. On the palate, this is a complex yet beautifully balanced Chardonnay, combining natural fruit sweetness with a precise, refreshing acidity. The citrus and stone fruit core is wrapped in a creamy, lightly textural mid-palate, while the oak influence brings hints of toast and spice without dominance. The finish is long, clean and mouthwatering, with lingering notes of lemon curd and hazelnut. Enjoyable now for its vibrancy and charm, it has the structure and concentration to evolve gracefully in bottle over the next 4–6 years, developing more nutty, brioche-like complexity.

Production
The fruit for Tiraki Chardonnay 2023 is sourced exclusively from the family’s Oldstone (also referred to as Oddstone) Vineyard, part of Longfield Farm in Marlborough’s southern valleys. Here, free-draining alluvial soils and clay subsoils, combined with high sunshine hours and cool nights, deliver grapes with both ripeness and tension. Vines are 10–14 years old, now entering a prime age for concentrated, characterful fruit. The Chardonnay is hand-harvested for optimal selection and pressed as whole bunches to preserve delicacy and finesse. Fermentation and maturation take place in a mix of small and larger French oak barrels, with around 20% new oak, where the wine rests for approximately 12 months. This careful élevage builds texture and complexity while keeping the fruit purity and regional freshness at the foreground before bottling the following March.

Food & Serving
This Chardonnay is an excellent partner for richly flavoured yet refined dishes. Try it with sautéed wild mushrooms, grilled monkfish or other meaty white fish, roast chicken, or a creamy chicken and leek pie. It also works beautifully with dishes featuring butter, cream or roasted nuts, and with mild, creamy cheeses. Serve lightly chilled at around 10–12°C to allow the full aromatic spectrum and texture to unfold. A short decant of 20–30 minutes, or simply opening the bottle a little before serving, can further enhance the wine’s complexity and integrate the oak and fruit nuances.

Producer
The Tiraki story is rooted in Longfield Farm, a 260-hectare property purchased by the family in 1870 and farmed by six generations over more than 150 years. Located in Marlborough’s southern valleys, the estate has been progressively planted to vines since 1999 and now produces premium fruit, particularly Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, from its sun-drenched, clay and alluvial soils. For many years, the family supplied top-quality grapes to leading wineries across New Zealand. During the 2020 lockdown, the three adult children returned home and decided to craft their own wines from the estate fruit that had traditionally been sold. The result was Tiraki – a label that combines deep Māori heritage and a long-standing connection to the land with modern, world-class winemaking. Today, Tiraki is emerging as one of Marlborough’s most exciting estate-based producers, known for wines that are both regionally expressive and finely crafted.