2023 Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay, Blank Canvas

• Style: Textured, mineral-driven Marlborough Chardonnay
• Taste: White nectarine, honeyed richness, savoury oak, vibrant acidity
• Food: Shellfish, white fish, poultry, oily fish, pasta & risotto
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, date night
• Serve: Now; will evolve over years

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Clone 95 delivers fleshy white nectarine and orchard stone fruit wrapped in honeyed, grainy depth from French puncheon ageing. What elevates this wine is the vibrant acidity threading through—Marlborough's cool nights and the 2023 vintage's natural high acidity keep it from feeling heavy or one-dimensional. Savoury oak anchors the fruit, creating genuine layering that works immediately yet promises evolution.

The Winery — Blank Canvas

Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson, a husband-and-wife consulting team with over 40 years of collective international winemaking experience, founded Blank Canvas as an art-meets-science project sourcing from exceptional single vineyard sites across New Zealand. They selected the Reed vineyard for its distinctive terroir: Pete and Anne Reed's vines have been top-grafted onto ancient Gewurztraminer roots, so despite the young Chardonnay canopy, the roots run deep, extracting intensity and restraint in equal measure. The 2023 was whole-bunch pressed with indigenous yeast fermentation in 40% new French oak, then completed malolactic naturally without interference before spending time on light lees—nothing rushed, nothing fined or filtered away.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This is a wine that rewards you the moment it hits the glass. Drink it now with butter sauces, roasted poultry, creamy cheeses, or rich fish dishes. Its mineral grip and energy make it equally at home alongside Chardonnay from cooler regions or exploring the finest New Zealand whites. Sit it alongside our broader Marlborough selection—this shows why the country's cool-climate Chardonnays deserve serious attention. All vineyards are sustainable-certified and certified vegan.