Pyramid Valley 2019 Field of Fire Chardonnay (North Canterbury)

Steve Smith MW, the new(ish) co-owner of this highly revered North Canterbury estate, hopes to make Pyramid Valley synonymous with world-class Chardonnay. He's on his way to achieving it. This vintage of Field of Fire is bright and fruity without being simple. Cantaloupe and lemon rind are delicately framed in yeasty, toasty lees and oak characters. There's a soft saline note, like seashells plucked from the beach, windswept by a cool ocean breeze. It reflects this site's unique position between the mountains and the sea. In the mouth, lemony acidity is prickly, gliding rather than slicing through the slippery texture. Oak is present but supportive, well tucked and obviously high-end. The lengthy finish makes another sip impossible to resist. Christina Pickard