Keltern Chardonnay
β³ Drinking Window
2023 - 2027
π½οΈ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared scallops with lemon-butter sauce, roasted chicken with wild mushrooms, or creamy pasta dishes like fettuccine Alfredo.
β¨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from a single, legendary site in the Bridge Pa Triangle of Hawke's Bay, the Villa Maria Keltern Chardonnay is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's premier white wines. Established on an ancient riverbed where silt loam blankets deep stony gravels, the Keltern Vineyard benefits from a unique microclimate that tempers the warm Hawke's Bay sun, preserving a vibrant, linear acidity. This 100% Chardonnay is crafted using traditional wild yeast fermentation in French oak barriques, followed by extended maturation on yeast lees with regular stirring. The result is a masterful expression of terroir, balancing intense stone fruit and citrus characters with a distinctive flinty minerality and a creamy, beautifully textured palate.
πΎ About the Producer
Established in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, Villa Maria evolved from a modest five-acre leased plot in MΔngere, Auckland, into one of New Zealand's foremost vinous institutions. Acquired by Indevin Group in 2021, the estate continues its legacy of regional and stylistic breadth, sourcing exceptional fruit from premier microclimates across Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, and Auckland. Viticultural operations emphasize environmental stewardship as a founding member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, complemented by dedicated organic vineyard blocks. Production is delineated into tiers ranging from accessible Private Bin and Cellar Selection expressions to vineyard-designated benchmarks like the Seaspray and Southern Clays Sauvignon Blancs, alongside cellar-worthy Gimblett Gravels Bordeaux blends and single-vineyard Chardonnays. The winemaking team balances modern temperature-controlled stainless steel ferments for pristine aromatic vibrancy with targeted French oak maturation and lees contact for texturally layered, terroir-precise bottlings.