Rod McDonald Wines 'Trademark' Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2015

Rod McDonald Wines 'Trademark' Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2015A wine made with future complexity at its heart. Struck stone and flint on the nose with lemon curd, stonefruit and a layered lees influence. Supple and seemless with a lingering finish. This is where the story starts. In 1993 I arrived in Hawkes Bay with a love for making wine and everything I owned packed into the boot of a small car. The plan was to figure out where to plant the best small vineyards as the first step towards unlocking the full

A wine made with future complexity at its heart. Struck stone and flint on the nose with lemon curd, stonefruit and a layered lees influence. Supple and seemless with a lingering finish.

This is where the story starts.  In 1993 I arrived in Hawke’s Bay with a love for making wine and everything I owned packed into the boot of a small car.  The plan was to figure out where to plant the best small vineyards as the first step towards unlocking the full potential of Chardonnay and Syrah grown and raised in Hawke’s Bay.  We’re up to four so far.

I first visited Burgundy, the spiritual home of great Chardonnay, in 1995. Apart from the amazing vineyards and wines, what struck me was the sense of tradition, community and the pursuit of small improvements in all aspects of their production. Their winemaking was incredibly intuitive, left plenty of room for nuance and there was a lot of joy in the process.

Chardonnay, more than any other white grape variety planted here, tells a story about where it was grown and who made it.  I believe it will become the most important white grape variety in Hawke’s Bay.  It’ll become our trademark.