Rockfield Road Chardonnay 2013

This white is the craftsmanship of former ‘New Zealand Winemaker of the Year’ Rod McDonald. Over the years he’s worked at some of the country’s best-known wineries, set up two cellars and won well over 200 major awards. Rod’s a senior judge at the New Zealand International Wine Show, and when he finds a spare moment he creates breathtaking wines like this one at his own property in Hawke’s Bay. Using grapes grown close to the coast for added freshness, the wine was all fermented in stainless steel to emphasise the fruit character, with a small portion put through the malolactic ferment to add a broader, creamy texture. Ripe, rounded and satisfying with pleasing stone fruit, it’s a top choice on its own or with creamy white meat dishes, too.