Chardonnay, Amped, Spoke 2022
Decanter 93 (2024); Jancis Robinson MW 17/20 (2024)
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Why this wine
Ben Glover is one of Marlborough's most experienced winemakers and Amped is where he takes the region somewhere other than Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented in clay amphora and finished in old oak, it has texture and phenolic grip without the sweetness new barrels usually add. Certified organic fruit, and one of very few New Zealand Chardonnays made this way at the price.
At a glance
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Marlborough, New Zealand
- Alcohol
- 13.00%
- Body
- Medium
- Acidity
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Medium (5-10 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Poultry & Pork, Seafood, Rich & Creamy Dishes
How it tastes
Bruised green apple, stone fruit and almond, with white flowers and a trace of honey behind them. Noticeably dry for all its richness, the palate held together by a phenolic grip and a mineral line that runs to the finish. Chardonnay 100%.
The producer
Spoke comes out of Dillon's Point in Marlborough, where four generations of the Glover family farmed dairy before Owen and Wendy Glover pioneered vine plantings in the subregion in the 1980s. The estate is now run by winemaker Ben Glover, who launched his career in 1995, worked at several leading New Zealand estates including Wither Hills, was an inaugural Len Evans scholar in 2001 and built the SPOKE project with Liam Steevenson MW; it achieved organic certification in time for the 2020 vintage. The Chardonnay grapes come from the Wilde Vineyard in the heart of Marlborough, low-yielding vines on silt loam and clay trained to a VSP two-cane system in a cool maritime climate, harvested at optimal maturity. Whole bunches were sorted and moved straight into clay amphora for a wild-yeast fermentation, then transferred to old oak vessels for six months. The 2022 season was long, dry and hot with a low fruit set, which concentrated flavour in the fruit.
Food and drinking
Serve at 10-12°C. It works with roast pork belly, grilled chicken, seared scallops or a mushroom and Gruyère tart. Drink over the next five to ten years; no decanting needed. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.