Dog Point Vineyard
Chardonnay 2023
Marlborough
James Healy and Ivan Sutherland will tell you that it’s hard for them to grow much Chardonnay at the extremely high quality level they want for this wine. As with their Section 94 and Pinot Noir, the wine is distinctive due to extraordinary vineyard holdings, intense vineyard management geared towards low yields and hand-picked fruit, and long, low touch winemaking. The effect this work has on the Chardonnay, by nature the least expressive of these three grape varieties, is wild – the wine is intensely expressive, with loads of fruit, leesy character, and chalky minerality that is almost textural. As with all the wines they produce, it is considered a national standard bearer of a different shade.
WINE
Several influential voices in the wine industry believe that in time Chardonnay may prove New Zealand's single highest achievement. All three of the Dog Point wines fermented in barrel are small in production, but the Chardonnay is the smallest, and and times indeed the most dazzling.
VINEYARD
Dog Point has Chardonnay planted in part on clay and silty valley floor vineyards, and in part on surrounding clay loam vineyards. Two clones predominate, 75% Mendoza and 25% Clone 95, with some plantings dating back to 1981. Grapes are, as always, hand-picked (95% of New Zealand’s vineyards are machine harvested).
WINEMAKING
Hand picked and gently pressed straight to barrel (10% new) for eighteen months. No juice clarification with 100% wild primary and secondary fermentation. Bottled without fining and with only minimal filtration.
VINTAGE
A difficult growing season redeemed by an excellent autumn. A wet, cool spring and persistent early-summer disease pressure demanded rigorous canopy management, but yields were down and loose bunches proved resilient. Slow ripening through March built concentration and flavor depth, and the best wines significantly outperformed the vintage's troubled reputation.
TASTING NOTE
A ripe citrus spectrum of fruit is at the core of a complex chardonnay with spice, toasted nuts and gravelly, flint aromas. A pure and focused palate with a bright, crunchy structure and fine acidity.
Color
White
Blend %
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Marlborough
Alcohol
13.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$45
Reviews
Wine Enthusiast - July 28, 2026 "This renowned producer is known for powerful, reductive white-wine styles, and the ’23 Chardy is no exception. Sure, there’s prominent flinty, matchstick characters from first sniff, but they quickly mingle with roast nut, ground ginger and somewhat brighter citrus, and mango rind. Combined, it’s a layered, intriguing start. The acidity lifts and sculpts the palate, countering the textural richness and viscosity, and lending tang to the nutty, flinty finish."
James Halliday Wine Companion - April 7, 2026 "Hand picked from the Home vineyard, with vines dating back to 1984. Whole-bunch pressed and matured in French oak, 10% new, for 18 months. A tight wire of Buddha’s hand citrus, lemon gum oil and yellow peach fuzz leads the nose, followed by a flicker of toasted coconut and creamy oak dust. Quince and loquat notes weave through the profile. On the palate, it is total seduction, with acidity nestled into every crevice and undulating waves of citrus supported by orchard fruit. There’s a lacy, finely woven skin grip and a laser-like line of fruit that carries on and on. There is so much to unpack, yet you’ll find your glass empty far too quickly. This vintage is holding its shape and fruit freshness incredibly well."
James Suckling - October 5, 2025 "A precise, driven and vibrant chardonnay with aromas of lemons, sweet spices, flint and brioche. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. So focused, with plenty of drive and patina on the palate. Succulent and tactile, with a long, bright finish. Good value. From organically grown grapes."
Trade Materials
Videos
Dog Point Chardonnay
August 14, 2019 - Dog Point Chardonnay is produced in Marlborough, New Zealand from hand picked and low cropping vines. A wonderfully structured chardonnay, with yeasty mineral notes and balanced integration of oak. Learn…
Other Wines by this Producer
Sauvignon Blanc
Dog Point’s Sauvignon Blanc takes a category of wine and completely transcends it, with an intensity, depth and energy that so obviously sets it apart from the first encounter. When they decided to make a pure stainless steel vinified Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point pushed to the ultimate every process to produce top quality, distinctive wine. They hand-pick fruit at low yields, green harvest at times, and ferment partially with indigenous yeasts. This wine helped make Dog Point a key advocate of premium wine production in New Zealand, and for New Zealand across the world.
Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc
Section 94 is widely regarded as the most distinctive and greatest Sauvignon Blanc being made in New Zealand today. James Healy and Ivan Sutherland were among the first to begin fermenting their Sauvignon in barrel with wild yeasts, a technique that along with the old vines they use, leads to a full-bodied wine that is less fruit-forward, more exotic, and has immense textural complexity.
Pinot Noir
Dog Point's renown as a Sauvignon Blanc producers has done nothing to lessen the enthusiasm around their Pinot Noir, today considered one of the finest in New Zealand. What sets their wine apart is the generosity of the structure, which comes off as rich but not sweet, and the complex mingling of fruit and savory notes.
