Dry River Chardonnay, Martinborough

Product Description

The name Dry River carries an historical significance as the name of one of the earliest Wairarapa sheep stations (ca. 1877). This was later sold off by the Seddon government and renamed Dyerville, leaving the renamed Waihora River (circa 1900) and the renamed Dyerville Rd (1994) – both after Dry River – as the only reminders of this part of our pastoral farming history. In 1979 Neil and Dawn McCallum planted a vineyard a few kilometres from Dyerville in a very dry, gravely and free-draining area now called the ‘Martinborough Terrace’ and they took the name Dry River for the vineyard and wines in what was to become another chapter of Martinborough’s farming history. Their dream was to produce individual, high quality regional wines which faithfully reflect the ‘terroir’, vintage and are suitable for cellaring. In subsequent year’s plantings on the Martinborough Terrace increased and fruit from the more recent plantings at nearby Craighall and Arapoff vineyards was also used. Part of Craighall was ultimately purchased by the winery in 1997/8 and all of the Arapoff vineyard in 2002 – the latter being renamed ‘Lovat Vineyard’. In 2002 the winery and vineyards were sold to New York businessman Julian Robertson and Californian viticulturalist Reg Oliver, who owned the El Molino winery in St Helena. The cool climate and poor soil of the Dry River bed, married with Dr Neil McCallum’s insistence on tiny yields and his utmost dedication to quality, has resulted in Dry River’s wines being recognised as New Zealand’s finest. These are handcrafted wines made in boutique quantities…

This wine is light straw – greenish tinted – with a bouquet showing zesty citrus, white peach, flowers and talc, even hints of vanilla pods. The palate has a smooth entry and a zingy freshness without herbaceousness, allied with a refined minerality and texture which gives a sense of transparency. There almost seems to be a contradiction between richness and tension with flavours of white stone fruit morphing into a lime and grapefruit finish.