Church Road TOM Chardonnay

One of the most iconic Chardonnays this country produces meets the vintage of a lifetime – a piece of New Zealand wine history is here!

TOM is the pinnacle of winemaking at Church Road and only ever released in top vintages, 2020 was exactly that.

TOM is Church Road’s tribute to one of New Zealand’s winemaking legends, Tom McDonald. The very best parcels of fruit from their Tuki Tuki vineyard, hand harvested and hand sorted, a meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the winemaking process, aged for 11 months in oak, a complex and finely textured Chardonnay. A legendary wine that’s a fitting tribute for a legendary bloke.

Tom released NZ’s first commercial Cabernet Sauvignon in 1949, in later years pioneering New Zealand Chardonnay. By the 1960’s his Cabernets were being compared to some of the First Growth wines of Bordeaux. So yep, there’s certainly a bit of pressure when it comes to a release under the TOM label!

Master of Wine Bob Campbell is certainly pretty excited about this release. He scored it 96/100 and said “Flagship chardonnay that is a blend of grapes from the Terraces Vineyard (59%) and Tuki Tuki Vineyard. Intense, weighty chardonnay with peach, citrus, roasted chestnut, struck-flint and spicy oak flavours. A bold, complex wine with obvious cellaring potential”

Each bottle is individually numbered and presented in a stunning Church Road TOM gift box. We’ve secured a small shipment but once it’s gone, it’s gone. Recommended drinking up to 2028.