Main Divide Chardonnay

Main Divide Chardonnay is made by the Pegasus Bay crew – a primo Waipara producer with international recognition for their classy line up of wines.

This is the little brother to their Pegasus Bay label. Just quietly we reckon it’s punching well above its weight for under twenty bucks! Main Divide is the name given to the mighty Southern Alp range, nicknamed the “backbone of the South Island” by some southerners. Backbone is exactly what this stunning white has got in abundance.

The Pegasus winemaking team like to go with a “Burgundian” with their Main Divide Chardonnay. That means it’s had the fancy treatment of barrel fermentation, lees aging and malolactic fermentation to soften the acidity. The end result? A complex style full of citrus and stone fruit flavours and spicy oak.

Scoring 4 Stars with Michael Cooper in his NZ Listener column, he said “This vigorous, vibrant wine was fermented and aged on its yeast lees in French oak barrels. Bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant and mouthfilling, with ripe stonefruit, butterscotch and toasty oak flavours showing good complexity, and a savoury, creamy-textured finish. Still youthful, with fresh acidity, it’s already very approachable, but likely to be at its best 2026+.”

Drinking well now but will develop nicely over the next few years. Try pairing it with white meat and seafood dishes in rich sauces.