Hawke's Bay's clear view of Clearview - just the greatest

The tender care - Clearview Estate owner Tim Turvey. Photo / NZME

Cape Kidnappers winery Clearview Estate has bolted home more claims to being one of New Zealand's top wine producers, with the NZ International Wine Show Champion Wine of Show Award for the third time in six years.

In what the industry regards as a David v Goliath-style battle, the boutique Hawke's Bay winery's Reserve Chardonnay 2020 triumphed in a huge field of 1780 entries from 220 wineries, in 10 countries, in the 2021 awards announced at the weekend.

Clearview Estate's Reserve Chardonnay 2015 took the honours in 2016, and at the weekend the winery, based near Te Awanga, was retaining supremacy after its Beachhead Chardonnay 2019 won last year.

Winery co-founder Tim Turvey said: "We're absolutely rapt and almost flabbergasted to take out the award yet again when we're up against the big boys with big budgets from around the world."

Clearview started winning awards within five years of when it was established in 1987, and Turvey said: "It is testament to our vision and the dedication and focus of our viticulture and winery teams maintaining that high standard. This wine epitomises all the reasons why we planted and started making it nearly 35 years ago."

"Our Reserve Chardonnay 2020 has intensity, balance and flavour with a structure that has audacity; there's freshness and complexity," he said, echoing the acclaim from the judges.

Led by Bob Campbell, New Zealand's most experienced senior wine judge, they said:
"Everything is in place to make this a superstar of the vintage. Clearview Estate are the masters of this style of Chardonnay."

Clearview Estate produces six different styles of Chardonnay and had won more than 120 gold medals since the 2015 vintage, which marked the arrival of a new winemaking team in Matt Kirby and Rob Bregmen.

"Chardonnay grows so well in Te Awanga," said chief winemaker Kirby. "The offshore breeze in the morning and the onshore one in the afternoon means there's no humidity, and that allows us to hold the fruit until it's ripe."

"We get grapes with a wonderful acid base and freshness that means we can play with various fermentations to meet varying and changing consumer palates," Kirby said.

The New Zealand International Wine Show is the largest wine competition held in New Zealand. Entry is open for wines from any country and made from any grape variety.
Entries were received from Australia, the US, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Germany and Georgia.