- Winery: Alpha Domus
- Wine Region: Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
- Variety: Chardonnay
- Vintage: 2024
- Price: $48.90 NZD
- Find it: from the winery direct and wine retailers
- Alcohol content: 13.5%
- You’ll like this if: You enjoy rich, complex Chardonnay
- Body: Medium
- Mouthfeel: Silky
- Taste: Rich, caramelised, mineral
- Flavours: Peach, toffee, citrus
- Enjoy it with: A relaxed weekend lunch or dinner with good company
- Food pairings: Roast chicken, creamy pasta, grilled scallops
Wine review: Alpha Domus The Batten Chardonnay 2024
Thanks to Hawke’s Bay Wine, I’m exploring Chardonnay from Hawke’s Bay, working my way through a collection of 2024 vintages from the region, and I could not be more excited about it. Chardonnay is a genuine obsession of mine, so kicking things off with the Alpha Domus The Batten Chardonnay 2024 feels like a proper treat. Named after New Zealand aviatrix Jean Batten, this wine is made from top Clone 15 fruit parcels grown on the estate vineyard, and it’s clear from the first sniff that this is a serious drop. On the nose, you’ll find ripe peach, vibrant grapefruit, and nectarine, layered with citrus blossom and those lovely reductive touches of flint, cedar, cinnamon, and biscuity oak that make barrel-fermented Chardonnay so much fun to sip on.
The palate is where this wine really struts its stuff. It’s rich, silky, and mouth-filling, with caramel, roasted peach, and toffee taking centre stage, all held together by a crisp, structured acid spine that keeps things beautifully balanced. Powerful and complex without ever feeling heavy, it finishes long and sumptuous, with layers of minerality and subtle hints of nutmeg and toast lingering on the way out. With 5 to 6 years of cellaring potential, The Batten is a Chardonnay you could easily tuck away for a special occasion, though I have a feeling it won’t last that long once you’ve had a taste. A fantastic start to my Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay journey, and I cannot wait to see what’s next.
About Alpha Domus
Alpha Domus has been crafting beautiful wines since 1989, and it’s a story built on real passion. As a small, independent, New Zealand-owned winery, the name itself tells you exactly what they’re about: “Alpha” comes from the founders themselves, while “Domus,” Latin for home, speaks to the family spirit that still runs through everything they do. It’s this unwavering commitment to quality and genuine craftsmanship that shines through in every bottle, and it’s exactly the kind of story that makes a wine so much more enjoyable to drink.
What really sets Alpha Domus apart is their full organic certification. Rather than fighting against nature, they work in harmony with it, encouraging biodiversity in the vineyard and using naturally derived materials to nourish the soil and manage disease. It’s a philosophy that starts from the ground up, quite literally, with biologically active soils nurturing healthy, robust vines. The result is fruit that’s simply better for it, and wines with more depth, quality, and complexity to enjoy.
Learn more about this wine on their website.
Note: This wine was sent as a sample. I was under no obligation to post about it.