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Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes sale). Free UK delivery on orders over £175. Tel : 02922 337454
Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes sale). Free UK delivery on orders over £175. Tel : 02922 337454
2023 Chardonnay Wild Barrique, Isabel Estate Your Store

2023 Chardonnay Wild Barrique, Isabel Estate

Marlborough, New Zealand

The Showstopper

A truly stunning Chardonnay. Aromas of citrus blossom, white peach and nectarine glide from the glass, layered with delicate flint, toasted hazelnut and savoury oatmeal notes from barrel fermentation. The palate is finely textured and beautifully composed, balancing ripe stone fruit with a gentle line of French oak and bright Marlborough acidity. Sourced from low-yielding, 30-year-old Mendoza clone vines, it carries real depth and concentration, finishing long, elegant and quietly powerful.

For when: you want Chardonnay with finesse and substance.
Pairs with: roast chicken with tarragon cream, butter-poached fish, or mushroom risotto.
If this wine were a moment: golden evening light over a quiet vineyard.

Founded in the Wairau Valley in 1980, Isabel Estate has long been regarded as one of Marlborough’s benchmark producers. The wines are crafted by Chief Winemaker Jeremy McKenzie, whose philosophy centres on minimal intervention and precise vineyard management to allow each site to speak clearly. While Isabel is celebrated for its Sauvignon Blanc, those in the know often point to the estate’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as its most compelling wines, combining Marlborough brightness with Burgundian finesse and texture. The Wild Barrique Chardonnay is a perfect example, expressive, structured and built to age gracefully for a decade or more.

Whats in the bottle
100% Chardonnay

Notable Awards
5 Stars & 95/100 - Bob Campbell MW

£28.95 - £28.95
£28.95
£28.95 - £28.95
£28.95
Availability:
34 in stock, ready to be shipped

Founded in the heart of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, Isabel Estate is widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s benchmark producers of Sauvignon Blanc and aromatic whites. Established in 1980 and named after Isabel Sutherland, an early settler of the region, the estate quickly earned a reputation for wines of remarkable purity and precision. With vineyards rooted in ancient riverbed soils and cooled by maritime breezes, Isabel Estate produces wines that capture the vivid aromatics and freshness that made Marlborough famous.
The wines are crafted by Chief Winemaker Jeremy McKenzie, one of Marlborough’s most respected talents, whose philosophy centres on careful vineyard work and minimal intervention to allow each site’s character to shine through.
Yet Sauvignon Blanc is only part of the story. Among those who know the estate well, Isabel’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are often considered its finest wines, combining Marlborough brightness with Burgundian finesse and texture. These wines remain something of a hidden treasure, frequently overlooked in the shadow of Marlborough’s iconic Sauvignon Blanc, but offering depth, elegance and complexity that reveal the true breadth of what the region can achieve.

The fruit for this wine was picked over 5 days, as flavour development reached optimal levels. The grapes were hand picked in the cool of the morning and whole bunch pressed in the afternoon. The juice was settled overnight to remove heavy solids before being transferred to barrels the following day for natural fermentation. Predominantly fermented in 500L puncheons with 30% new french oak. The wine spent a year in barrel where it underwent malolactic fermentation and extended time on lees before being blended in tank and aged for a further 5 months prior to bottling.