Monowai Crownthorpe Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2011 – $

Old Gold. Buttery on the nose. Nutty. Medium weight malo. White peaches and mealiness in the mouth, but lacking fruit intensity.

Bitter finish at the back of my throat, the secondary characters that you see in oxidised wine past its best. This wine smells better than it tastes. Shame really, and the dour grey label does the wine no favours.