SKU: 41182324592

Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2020

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Description

Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2020French oak Peach & baked apple Toasted nuts & brioche Full bodied "Complex, bold, varietal, smoky and toasty spices bouquet. An attention seeking aroma package leads to a full bodied expression on the palate with flavours of roasted stone fruits and barrel spices, fine wood tannins and contrasting acid line. Peach and baked apple, grapefruit and quince, a touch of honey and tropical fruit. A delicious, fresh and textured wine ticking all the boxes of

  • French oak
  • Peach & baked apple
  • Toasted nuts & brioche
  • Full-bodied

"Complex, bold, varietal, smoky and toasty spices bouquet. An attention seeking aroma package leads to a full-bodied expression on the palate with flavours of roasted stone fruits and barrel spices, fine wood tannins and contrasting acid line. Peach and baked apple, grapefruit and quince, a touch of honey and tropical fruit. A delicious, fresh and textured wine ticking all the boxes of flavour and texture, power and panache" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Shout Magazine

"Mouth-filling, tangy Chardonnay with oyster shell/mineral, grapefruit, white peach, roasted chestnut and spicy oak flavours supported by vibrant acidity and fine peppery tannins. High energy wine with moderate cellaring potential" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Dec 2022

A fuller bodied Chardonnay balanced by gentle, fresh acidity and a spine of slate like minerality. Fresh zesty citrus and citrus blossom notes are to the fore this year with riper, richer stonefruit underlying and providing extra depth. The fruit is overlaid with complexities of roasted nuts, toasted brioche, and a wisp of struck flint and gun smoke. Already drinking exceptionally well, with careful cellaring we expect this wine to continue to mature gracefully for 5 years or more from vintage date.

Tuki Tuki Vineyard (67%): Planted by Tom McDonald in the 1960’s and is situated roughly 4km from the mouth of the Tuki Tuki river on the eastern bank, on a gentle slope running down towards the river. Elevated slightly above the surrounding plains, the vineyard is exposed to cooling afternoon sea breezes which help to retain fragrance and fresh acidity, ideal for Chardonnay. The topsoil is a dense clay over a calcareous clay pan that has resulted from limestone outwash from the Tuki Tuki valley. The capillary action in the clay soil holds on to water tightly in the drier summer months, making it hard for the vine to access, while the clay pan restricts root growth. Therefore, vine vigour is generally well controlled, and crops are naturally very modest. The limestone influence brings a mineral element to the wines that we do not see to the same degree from other sites. Terraces Vineyard (27%): On the western bank of the river, sheltered to the south by Te Mata Peak and to the west by a higher river terrace, but still affected by the sea breeze, this is a slightly warmer site with a similar soil type. The wines are richer and rounder with a greater emphasis on stonefruit flavours. Omarunui Vineyard (6%): The only vineyard from outside of the Tuki Tuki valley, on the southern bank, of the Tutaikuri river, roughly 10 minutes south of Church Road. A sheltered, more inland site, it produces subtle stone fruit flavoured wines with gentle texture. Bringing more of a white flesh peach note to the blend.

Hand-harvested and hand sorted, the fruit was gently whole bunch pressed directly to French oak barriques without any clarification or additions. Wild primary and malolactic fermentation ensued, and has delivered an extra degree of complexity, textural interest and provided an excellent natural acid balance. 33% new oak was used to aid to further enhance the depth of the wine without dominating the fruit. The wine was matured on full yeast lees in barrel approximately 11 months with only occasional yeast lees stirring. To avoid any unnecessary stripping effect, the wine was unfined and only lightly filtered for clarity prior to bottling.

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SKU: 41182324592

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4.4 ★★★★★
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Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
A Perfect Christmas Murder Cozy
Format: Kindle
Benedict Brown has succeeded again. It felt like going home for the holidays when Marius and Bella are together again. The story is great, the characters and suspects to murders have such varied and down-right strange manners that they are fascinating to get to know. The story is great. I didn’t guess “who done it”. Marius’ faithful dog, Bella’s faithful chauffeur, all met the new senior housing development residents dents where Bell’s dear Auntie was killed. Despite more murders to come, and despite ignorant or maybe just plain corrupt police, the cases are successfully solved in the end by Marius and Bella. Then a Merry Christmas indeed occurs with Marius , his Mom, Bella and other family. I love the way Benedict Brown always gives a synopsis of his research which is always unusual, informative and fascinating. I really enjoyed book. Well-done once again Mr. Benedict Brown. Keep up the good work.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2026
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ladybughugs
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 4
I enjoyed getting to know Marius and Bella
Format: Kindle
This was the first book I have read the Marius Quin series by Benedict Brown. I do believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had more background into the primary characters, Marius Quin and Lady Bella Montague. However, I still liked spending time trying to solve the murder mysteries and getting to know Marius and Bella more. The relationship between the two of them is entertaining, and I loved that while they have such different personalities, their relationship is built on a lifelong friendship and full of warmth and caring. A nice cozy mystery that I enjoyed enough that I will go back and read the earlier books in the series.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2026
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Jake's mom
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Murder and Christmas Cheer!!!
Format: Kindle
Christmas is a joyous time of year and not a holiday usually associated with murder, but Benedict Brown serves up a classic British mystery, set in the 1920’s, with seasonal warmth, cheer and numerous deaths. This is the sixth novel in the Marius Quin series and, at the beginning of the novel, the reader finds Marius in a good place – he’s finally accepted that the war is over, his new novel is at his publisher’s and Bella, the woman he loves, is back in his life. At a Christmas party at Bella’s parents’ manor house, he runs into a white-haired lady, talking to herself. Adele Leach, “Aunt Addie,” says that she’d been to the police because a friend was in danger and, if anything happened to her friend, that she knows who her killer is, and then Adele rushes off. Quite soon thereafter, Adele is found dead and the police attribute her death to natural causes: She was in her 80’s and had a weak heart. Marius and Bella know better and go to Holly Village, where Adele lived, to investigate. Of course, more murder follows and the duo satisfyingly reveal the culprit, and the end of the novel is filled with Christmas cheer, reminiscent of A Christmas Carol by Dickens. The plot keeps the reader guessing, but what really appealed to me was the setting. Holly Village is right out of Dickens and is a real village which was built during the Victorian time, with twelve-dwellings, each with turrets, towers and gargoyles, located in the heart of London, next to Highgate Cemetery (an appropriate setting for a murder mystery)! I totally recommend this new Christmas novel by Benedict Brown.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2025
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Jan C. Robbins
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
An Old Prof's Delight
Format: Kindle
All of Mr. Brown's Marius Quin mysteries are interesting and thoroughly enjoyable reading. The characters, especially the main ones--Marius, Bella, and Percy--are among my all-time favorites, and that after more than 65 years of reading mysteries (started when I was 16)! I highly recommend "Holly Village," for Christmas or otherwise, and impatiently await the next book in the series.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2026
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Cassie
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
I love this series so much!
Format: Kindle
It's not Christmas time without a Benedict Brown Christmas book! I love this series and I love how the characters are maturing/coming into their own. Marius and Bella are amazing and their banter is always top notch. I have read every single book this author has written and he still surprises me with his twists and who done it! The ending of this one was super emotional, I had tears during the reveal! I cannot wait for the next! Especially with the promise of big leaps in certain plot lines! Pick up this series, it is A++++ reading.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2025

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