Winemaker Senka Tennant turned over the Black Hills cellar to her successor, Graham Pierce, in September. That was part of the planned transition after she and the other founding partners of the winery sold it to a group of investors a year ago. She left some wonderful wines behind, judging from this recently released Chardonnay, only the second vintage of the variety made by Black Hills.

It begins with alluring aromas of tropical fruit, citrus, spice and toast. On the palate, there are layers of fruit flavours that develop in the glass. The wine is rich in texture without being fat – a beautifully and refreshingly balanced Chardonnay, with no flavour or textural element even hinting of being in excess. There is a lingering, tangy finish. Overall, this is a pristine, vibrant and focussed wine, a textbook Chardonnay. 92