Five compelling new Chardonnays
This year has been a game changer for winemakers Tony and Oscar Bish, who have launched five new Chardonnays from three highly revered vineyards in Hawke's Bay - Skeetfield, Kokako Farms and Two Terraces.
"The move to sourcing all our grapes from just three spectacular vineyards has had a profound impact on our wine quality," says Tony Bish, founder of Bish Wines.
The new wines are all made from hand-picked grapes and all from Hawke's Bay, which has been a game changer following 2023 when tricky weather conditions (read: cyclones) threw up a challenging set of hurdles to overcome. Those hurdles included sourcing grapes from outside the Bay and simply not producing some of the wines, so a return to a strongly favourable vintage in 2024 was a welcome one for the Bish family - and those who manage the vineyards they source grapes from.
The following tasting notes are my reviews of the five new wines from Bish Wines - now a two generation brand in New Zealand's second largest wine region, Hawke's Bay.
The reviews
18.5/20
2024 Tony Bish ZEN Chardonnay RRP $149.95
Zen represents the pinnacle of Tony Bish’s impressive range of Chardonnays and expresses depth of flavour, balance and purity with aromas of powerful ripe white peach, zesty lemon and a smooth, full bodied style, captured in a seamless wine from a very strong vintage - 2024. This wine is made from the sun-drenched slopes of Ohiti Valley in Hawke’s Bay where the Kokako Farms vineyard has consistently produced exceptional grapes that have gone into many of Villa Maria and Vidal’s most celebrated wines.
This full bodied, seamlessly integrated new vintage of ZEN is a study in texture, silkiness and finesse, offering a plush and balanced experience of Chardonnay for now and over the next five to six years, potentially longer if stored well in cool dark conditions.
18.5/20
2024 Tony Bish Egg No.3 Chardonnay RRP $59.95
There's a compelling tension between richness and restraint in this wine, which is a limited bottling with 100 dozen drawn off exclusively for wine club members and restaurants in New Zealand and Australia, making it something of a rare hatching from the Golden Egg programme, which has been a long term favourite of sommeliers.
White peach and concentrated lemon aromas are underpinned by subtle flinty undertones and a whisper of fresh brioche, which is lifted by bright acidity to bring lingering flavours to each sip. It's 100% Mendoza clone Chardonnay grown on the Two Terraces Vineyard and was made in one of six concrete eggs.
18.5/20
2024 Tony Bish Two Terraces SV Chardonnay RRP $69.96
Love this style – fresh, restrained, flinty and with structural clarity that reflects the dedication of Ian and Linda Quinn, whose stewardship of the exceptional Two Terraces Vineyard continues to yield remarkable results. This wine was made from 100% barrel fermented Mendoza clone grapes and its fresh, restrained depth of flavour and beautifully fresh acidity mark it out as a distinctive Chardonnay in the next chapter in great whites made by the Bish family and from the Mangatahi region in Hawke's Bay.
18.5/20
2024 Tony Bish Skeetfield SV Chardonnay RRP $79.95
The 2024 Skeetfield SV Chardonnay is a compelling expression of one of Hawke’s Bay’s most revered vineyard sites, Skeetfield, and is made from dry-farmed Mendoza clone vines—described by the Bish family as a national treasure. This wine highlights the depth and character that Skeetfield consistently delivers with fermentation in French oak, with indigenous yeasts and full malolactic conversion, which softens acidity and adds creamy textural qualities to this wine. Skeetfield captures Chardonnay’s power and purity with moderate acidity and a long, savoury, flavoursome finish.
17.5/20
2024 Fat & Sassy Chardonnay RRP $23.95
Winemakers Tony and Oscar are proud return to their home in Hawke’s Bay as the source of grapes in this smooth medium bodied Chardonnay. It has a fleshy mid palate and soft mouthfeel with aromas of peach and apricot kernel with a tangy twist, and dry finish.
