Church Road

Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2017

Award
Winner Top 100 Fuller Bodied Dry White Wines
Grape Varieties
Chardonnay
Country of Origin
New Zealand
Alcohol Content
13.0% Alcohol by Volume
Wine Type and Oak Treatment
Still White with Oak Treatment
Recommended Retail Price
RRP AU $49.99
Buy This WineBuy This Wine
  • Church Road
    150 Church Road
    Taradale, Napier
    New Zealand 4112
  • Anita Anderson, Brand Sites Administrator

“A complex, subtle nose with myriad mineral, flinty, citrus and apple aromas. The palate is powerful, layered, very concentrated yet restrained. Late biscuity flavours add complexity while a gentle chalky grip comes in at the end, tightening up this otherwise very full-bodied wine. Not quite the right wine for a rich duck and truffle dish.”

“Intense toasty, charry bouquet with hints of Chinese five-spice and preserved lemon. Round and rich with a creamy mid-palate, well-integrated oak and a long persistent lemony finish. The richness of the duck dish was well-matched with the wine.”

“More colour than other in the bracket. Slightly older school style. Fatter and more broad than many in the bracket. A moderate match with the dish”

“A complex aroma of vanilla, baked biscuit and citrus blossom. The palate is rich and powerful with good acid structure and chewy phenolics. The wine is warm and rounded, finishing crisp and dry. Well made. The pairing doesn?t promote the wine. The wine appears oily and disjointed with the duck. The phenolics of the wine are enhanced ? not great.”

“Savoury, vanilla oak, grapefruit and white peach/stone fruit characteristics, juicy crunchy acidity, bright and fresh on the finish”

“Mid yellow gold. Ripe peach and hints of tropical fruit and toast. Reasonable flavour intensity on the palate, with citrus hints. The match is a little flat.”

“Deeper golden colour. Lifted struck match/sulphur nose. Hints at minerality with good fruit underpinning. Great palate. Chalky and flavoursome. Clean acid, Grillee super fine tannin finish and terrific length and carry. Very good wine. With Food ? works really well. Complex, driven, satisfying.”

The Fuller Bodied Dry White Wines were judged with

Duck Breast with pumpkin valute, green apple and granola

Presented by chef Marcell Kustos

Ingredients

Pumpkin

  • 500 g butternut squash
  • 300 ml chicken stock
  • 100 g butter
  • 100 g parmesan, grated
  • 0.5 Tbsp truffle oil
  • salt
  • pepper
Poached apples
  • 5 pc Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
  • 80 g sugar
  • 420 ml water
  • Granola
  • 200g granola
  • excess duck fat
Jus
  • 100 ml soy sauce
  • 100 ml lime/lemon
  • 100 ml apple cooking liquid
Duck
  • 4 pc Duck breast, 56 degree C (sous-vide)

Method

  1. In a medium pot, melt butter, add squash and stock and cook until soft.
  2. In a blender, puree the squash mixture with the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Set aside.
  4. In a small sauce pan, cook apples in water and sugar until soft.
  5. Reserve the cooking liquid.
  6. In a frying pan, fry duck breasts starting skin-side down on low heat for 5 minutes.
  7. Flip the duck and fry for more 1 minutes.
  8. Remove duck breasts and toast granola in the remaining duck fat.
  9. In a frying pan, cook down to half the mixture of soy sauce, lime and apple cooking liquid.
  10. Place duck breast and glaze before serving.
  11. Plate the ingredients.