Huon Hooke – "A stunning chardonnay" - Huon Hooke, 97pts

World Wine –

Wine Spectator – Steely, with lemon pith, gooseberry and fleur de sel notes streaking over a flinty spine. An echo of lemon curd in the background adds nice contrast.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The Pouilly-Fume Tradition has much less of the green flavors often connected with this appellation. Instead, it is rather floral, displays more yellow colored fruit aromas (also citrus), whereas the fascinating foundation is built up by crushed limestone rocks. On the palate this is an expressive and powerful, yet elegant and persistent Pouilly that is still young and should benefit from further bottle age. Beautifully balanced, though it does not lack a thrilling structure. Since this wine does not cost a fortune, I highly recommend seeking it out.

Wine Enthusiast – Slight hints of evolution are immediately apparent in the lifted notes of dried lemon peel. The palate is taut and concentrated, straight-laced and upright. This is all about linearity, focus and tension. Have it now or wait for it, it is worth witnessing at any stage. Prepare to be refreshed and revived. Drink now until 2025.

The Wine Front – Almond, cinnamon, nutmeg, green tobacco, a little gun smoke, nashi pear and nectarine. There’s some real lemonade flavour along with dried pear, a pleasing crunch and freshness to acidity, a friand and dried coconut richness, and a bright finish of excellent length. Very good Chardonnay. Ticks a lot of boxes, you might say.

James Suckling – Expressive nose of white grapefruit, white pears, sea shells, nutmeg, cloves and dried lemons. It's medium- to full-bodied with a creamy and layered texture. Vibrant. Lovely sweet fruit and integrated subtle spice notes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Huon Hooke – Light, bright yellow hue with a complex bouquet of sneaky hints of buttered toast, roasted hazelnuts and underlying citrus fruits, lemon and grapefruit. Creamy lees and shortbread-like malo characters. There is excellent intensity of flavour powered along by great acidity that really drives the wine and prevents it being heavy. Concentration and drive in spadefuls. A generous, mouth-filling chardonnay with great amplitude and incredible length. Very satisfying to sip. No hurry to drink it—and time will bring increased complexity.

Wine Spectator – Light-bodied and elegant, this fresh Pinot Gris enlivens the flavors of kumquat, stone, melon and sliced almond with a zesty streak of acidity. Offers a lightly spiced, tangy finish. Drink now through 2020.

Wine Enthusiast – Ripe, yellow pear, stone and earth are united by a zesty grapefruit perfume. The streak of purity at the center of this is invigorating, with an enlivening backbone of tinkling acidity. This bottling does justice to a difficult vintage-and is all the more alluring for it. Something racy and pure at the core makes you want to delve deeply into this wine.

World Wine – Formed from ugni blanc, clairette, viognier, muscat-a-petit grains, riesling. Mostly ugni blanc though. Old vines, low yields here. The wine was matured on lees for its life before bottling. This is delicious. It’s slippery in texture, fragrant and bursting with character. Honey, lemon blossom, pear, green apple in the bouquet, suggestively sweet, but not so to taste. Glides in the palate, shows depth of pear-like flavours, licks of oatmeal and sweet spice. Precise, but with a come hither drinking appeal. Lovely stuff.

James Halliday – "From an east-facing contoured vineyard that catches all the morning sun. Perfectly ripened white stone fruit with a quick squeeze of Meyer lemon. Has been fermented and matured in French oak in such a way as to leave the gorgeous fruit centre stage, the palate of endless length." - James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion)

World Wine – 97 Points - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

The Wine Front – Super value, as ever. Lillies and lemon barley, lime and grapefruit, punch and sure-footed, some crunch and chalkiness in texture, and a refreshing, slightly bitter, that reminds of gin and tonic with a good hit of lime. Delicious. Good now too.

The Wine Front – Bannockburn has never done things by halves when it comes to its sauvignon blanc. This 2017 release was made in three separate batches: one partially destemmed with skin contact, one barrel fermented and the third fermented in tank. It’s low in alcohol, but almost sweet with fruit ripeness. Sweet fruit but cutting acidity. Fun and then serious. Lemon, almonds, florals and metal. Red apples and rose petals. It’s as much nuance as drive, though there’s plenty of the latter. In all honesty – and we don’t say this often of sauvignon blanc – it needs a little time. Though there is a great deal to admire here. And that’s without mentioning the check of chubbiness to the texture, which works a treat.

The Wine Front – Clean and pure, lemon and lime squeezed into mineral water, a lavender perfume, ultra-fine crushed rock texture, and a cool and very long slaty finish. Very fine Eden Riesling. No coarseness. High class. Say no more.

James Suckling – 99 Points - "Fascinating nose of white lavender, lemon, pineapple, green apple, thyme, rosemary, sourdough, almond and oyster shell. It’s medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and a tense, spicy palate. So much flavor and fragrance. Incredibly expressive, with evolving layers of fresh fruit, spices, flowers and herbs." James Suckling, 99 Points

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – 99 Points - "The nose of the 2020 White Bones Chardonnay is an explosion of thyme and rockrose, aromatic, open, expressive, outspoken, showy and exuberant. It also has notes of white flowers and citrus, pine needles and incense, continuously developing new layers, curry, something smoky, more and more aromatic herbs, nuanced, complex and with a magnetic attraction that makes you go back to the glass over and over again. This was harvested all at the same time, whereas it was sometimes harvested over four different moments in the past; so this is a bit different and an extraordinary year for this wine, transcending the conditions of the year, with lower alcohol and pH (12.5% and 3.1) than the 2021, despite coming from a warmer year. This is very tasty and long, stony (more than White Stones!) and very persistent." Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 99 Points