Riverblock Chardonnay is a white produced by Terra Sancta in Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand. Made from Chardonnay. Cellarion's sommeliers have reviewed the drink window of 1 vintage; members see when it is ready. Track this wine and manage your cellar with Cellarion — the free, open-source wine app at cellarion.app.
Type: White
Appellation: Bannockburn
Region: Central Otago
Country: New Zealand
Grapes: Chardonnay
Tasting profile
Structure: medium-bodied, low tannin, high acidity, dry
A single hectare of Chardonnay on the Terra Sancta estate on Felton Road, north-facing above the Kawarau River in what Bannockburn calls its dress circle. Planted in 2005 to three clones — Mendoza, B95 and B548 — on alluvial schist over a seam of limestone that is genuinely rare in Central Otago, and that limestone is what the wine is about: it gives a mineral drive its neighbours on pure schist do not have. Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented, then ten months in barrel at roughly three-quarters large-format French puncheon and a quarter barrique, with a natural four-month spring malolactic and minimal lees stirring. Unfined. Around 13%. Golden straw, with lifted florals over white peach, yellow nectarine and quince, then lime curd and a distinctive lemon-pepper spice, toasted almond and honeysuckle. Rich and racy at once, textural but taut, with a long mineral finish. Among the finest Chardonnays in Bannockburn. Serve at 10 to 12°C.
When to drink
Cellarion's sommeliers have reviewed the drink window of 1 vintage of Riverblock Chardonnay. Sign up free to see when it is ready.
Where it comes from
Central Otago, New Zealand
Central Otago lies in the mountainous interior of New Zealand's South Island and is one of the world's southernmost wine regions, best known for its Pinot Noir.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a white grape from Burgundy that has spread to nearly every wine-growing region on earth, prized for its versatility and its ability to reflect both terroir and the winemaker's hand.
More wines
From Terra Sancta
- Estate Miro's Block Dry Riesling — Terra Sancta, Central Otago
- Estate Pinot Noir — Terra Sancta, Central Otago
- Jackson's Block Pinot Noir — Terra Sancta, Bannockburn
- Miro's Block Dry Riesling — Terra Sancta, Bannockburn
- Mysterious Diggings Pinot Noir — Terra Sancta, Central Otago
- Single Block Shingle Beach Pinot Noir — Terra Sancta, Bannockburn
More white wines from Central Otago
- Bannockburn Chardonnay — Felton Road, Bannockburn
- Block 2 Chardonnay — Felton Road, Bannockburn
- Block 6 Chardonnay — Felton Road, Central Otago
- Chardonnay — Felton Road, Bannockburn
Frequently asked questions
Where is Riverblock Chardonnay from?
Riverblock Chardonnay is produced by Terra Sancta in Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand.
What grapes are in Riverblock Chardonnay?
Riverblock Chardonnay is made from Chardonnay.