Luna Estate Estate Chardonnay / 2023 / 750mL

The Luna Estate Chardonnay 2023 from Martinborough is a tightly drawn, citrus-driven white with more line than lushness. Expect a wine that leans towards grapefruit and stone rather than tropical fruit, with the cool-climate acidity Martinborough chardonnay is known for.

Aromatically it opens on lemon curd, white peach and a touch of nectarine skin, with a subtle nuttiness and a chalky, almost flinty edge underneath. The palate follows suit: grapefruit pith, green apple and a squeeze of lime, carried on a supple mid-palate that fills out as the wine warms in the glass.

Structurally this is a chardonnay built around acid rather than weight. The texture is fine and slightly creamy through the middle, then the finish tightens and runs long on citrus and a savoury, saline note. There is a gentle grip on the back palate that keeps everything honest and makes the wine feel more serious than its easy first impression suggests.

Serve at around 11 degrees, and give it a decent glass rather than a small one. It suits pan-fried snapper, roast chicken with lemon and thyme, prawn linguine or a wedge of gruyère. Drinking well now and should hold comfortably through to 2029.