The days of ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) have long gone and Chardonnay is having a ‘huge comeback.’ New Zealand has been producing Chardonnay for decades, but the quality of this wine is most certainly on the rise, as vines mature and growers and winemakers explore the potential of this beloved & classic grape variety.
This month we are back in the Hawke’s Bay to visit Tony Bish Wines, whose sole focus is producing a range of outstanding examples of Chardonnay from the Hawke’s Bay region.
“New Zealand Chardonnay is on the rise, and I am very happy that is the case,” says Emma Jenkins MW, a New Zealand-based wine writer, consultant, and judge. “The biggest change over the past 10 years or so has been the maturing of our vineyards and, especially, the winemaking. Sites and clones have been refined, vine age is having an impact on site transparency and fruit complexity, and most of all, winemakers have increasingly figured out what works for them.”
Back in 2013 Tony Bish Wines embarked on an exciting journey by producing the very first vintage of Tony Bish chardonnay. Two wines were released: the now renown Fat & Sassy Chardonnay, which has been embraced near and far and is their most popular Chardonnay; and the Summertime Chardonnay – a delightful Gisborne Chardonnay that they produced for a brief period before choosing to dedicate their energy exclusively to crafting wines from the magnificent Hawke’s Bay region.
Since then, Tony and his team have been devoted to producing the very best Chardonnay, in different expressions, and their commitment to this goal has been unwavering. 2023 presented an unexpected challenge when Cyclone Gabrielle hurtled through Hawke’s Bay a week before the much anticipated start of vintage. This weather event significantly impacted the volume of the harvest in Hawke’s Bay leaving them about 20% of requirements. During this time of adversity, the Marlborough growers stepped up, generously sharing their bountiful vintage. As a result, the 2023 vintage of Fat & Sassy is a blend, featuring grapes from both Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, with Tony & Oscar heading down to Marlborough to secure grapes and supervise winemaking in-keeping with the Fat & Sassy style.
TONY BISH – ARTISAN WINEMAKER
Tony fell into winemaking after running out of dosh following a long hot summer at Makorori Beach in Gisborne lazing in the surf and hanging in bars. His first vintage in 1981 was at Corbans winery in Gisborne followed by a winter ski season at Mt Hutt. In 1982 he landed a vintage job at Vidals in Hawke’s Bay where he met Richard Brimer. Tony and Richard enjoyed three vintages together at Vidals before Tony committed to studying for a winemaking degree in Australia, and Richard continued to hone his photography skills.
Tony co-founded Sacred Hill in Hawke’s Bay in 1986 with the Mason brothers, and more than made up for lost time, working vintages in the South Island, and also at Brown Brothers in Australia. In 2014 he established his independent label Tony Bish Wines, with the introduction of Fat & Sassy Chardonnay, dedicated to the variety that was “always top in my heart”. Three years later, he left Sacred Hill and focused on the eponymous label and its growing stable of Chardonnays.
Tony was the first to introduce concrete eggs to the NZ winemaking scene in 2015, in a collaboration with NZ Tanks in Hastings. After many prototypes, NZ Tanks are knocking out some beautiful eggs now. Falling in love with the stunning Taransaud French Oak ‘Ovum’ egg was easier than falling off a bike! Tony Bish Wines has the first Ovum in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Zen Chardonnay is a world first wine.
In 2023, Tony was joined in the business by his eldest son Oscar – solidifying his winemaking knowledge and CFO, and his youngest daughter Genevieve – playing a key role in Marketing & Social Media for the family business.
Here is an excellent bio of Tony, written by Joelle Thomson back in 2023: https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/wine-grower/wg-profiles/the-profile-tony-bish
THE WINEMAKING PROCESS
With a strong focus on sustainability, Tony uses environmentally friendly practices, including organic vineyard management and minimal intervention winemaking. The result is a range of Chardonnays that showcase the terroir of Hawke’s Bay while expressing the utmost elegance and complexity.
“We could easily get into concrete eggs and oak eggs because we were only making Chardonnay and we didn’t have to fund red fermenters. That enabled us to go down some interesting pathways, which has been a great benefit to us in getting recognised.”
Tony’s wines stand out with his unique approach to Chardonnay production, using concrete eggs and barrels made from French oak sourced exclusively from the Alliers forest. These techniques contribute to the distinct character and exceptional quality of the wines.
WHY EGGS? Yeast do two main things in winemaking. Firstly, they cunningly convert natural grape sugars to alcohol. Secondly, if the right conditions and time are allowed, the yeast cell wall breaks down releasing organic compounds that are concentrated richness, providing great complexity and amazing textural quality.
The decision to be monovarietal in winemaking also offered the benefit of innovation.
Chardonnay as a variety is the most suited to yeast derived richness and enhancement, meaning eggs and Chardonnay go together like, well, roosters and hens! Read more about ‘the egg’ here: https://tonybishwines.co.nz/store/golden-egg
THE PLACE
In 2017 Tony Bish Wines, announced building a stunning Urban Winery in the old National Tobacco Company iconic Art Deco building in Ahuriri, within the Port precinct of Napier. Colloquially known as the “Rothmans” building, this is a stunning piece of Art Deco industrial architecture and a national treasure.
Over the past few years, Tony Bish Wines has experienced incredible growth, with demand for their Chardonnays continuing to rise both in New Zealand and internationally. To meet this demand, they are expanding production in 2025—a milestone they are immensely proud of. With this expansion comes the need to focus on what they do best: crafting world-class Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay. To accommodate the increasing production and sales, they made the difficult but exciting decision to close The Urban Winery bar and eatery to the public.
The space now serves as a Cellar Door Thursday to Sunday afternoons or by appointment. There is also a calendar of special events planned– including exclusive tastings, guest chef experiences, live music, and private functions. Tony says “Watch this space!“
THE WINES
In a typical year Tony makes six Chardonnays: Fat & Sassy, Heartwood, Golden Egg, Skeetfield and Zen, and most recently added a single vineyard release from the Two Terraces Vineyard in Mangatahi, Hawke’s Bay.
Heartwood Chardonnay 2023
Harvested from Ohiti Valley and Mangatahi vineyards of Hawke’s Bay, from Mendoza clone and 548 clone Chardonnay. Whole bunch pressed, with just the free run juice sent to ferment in new and seasoned Taransaud French oak barriques.
Fat n Sassy 2023
A blend of 75% Marlborough and 25% Hawke’s Bay fruit – the devastating Hawke’s Bay Cyclone Gabrielle in March 2023 resulted in significant loss of the grape crop. Their wonderful colleagues in Marlborough came to the rescue.
Golden Egg Chardonnay 2023
Fruit from three vineyards in the Bridge Pa and Mangatahi sub-regions were whole bunch-pressed, with only free run juice progressing to ferment in two concrete egg fermenters.
Two Terraces Chardonnay 2023 – Hand-picked Chardonnay from renowned Two Terraces Vineyard in the Mangatahi sub-region were whole bunch-pressed, with only free run juice progressing to ferment in new and seasoned French oak barriques. (New Release)
Skeetfield Chardonnay 2022
Skeetfield Vineyard has old vine dry- farmed Mendoza Chardonnay vines. The fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed with minimal settling. This wine was 100% barrel fermented and matured, with 60% new French oak
Zen Chardonnay 2020
The first Chardonnay in the world to have been made exclusively in an Ovum, i.e. a 200L vessel in this case made of Taransaud oak and shaped like an egg, to enhance lees contact and texture.
During May, enter NZWD15 to receive 15% off your purchase.
https://tonybishwines.co.nz/discount/NZWD15
All of Tony’s wines are well rewarded, receiving excellent reviews and accolades by both New Zealand and international wine writers. His wines have captivated wine enthusiasts with an exceptional range of Chardonnays. With a commitment to crafting wines of the highest standard, Tony Bish continues to solidify his reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest Chardonnay producers.
FOLLOW TONY BISH WINES ON SOCIAL MEDIA – Instagram – @tonybish.wines – Facebook – @tonybishwines
JB’S Notes
TONY BISH WINES ‘HEARTWOOD’ CHARDONNAY 2024
Bright clear lemon-gold in colour, medium oily viscosity / legs. Fragrant & enticing nose with aromas of ripe peach & nectarine, nutty, vanilla biscuit & subtle lees notes follow. On the palate, lovely creamy mouthfeel at first, then ripe stone-fruit, cashew nut & lees flavours are followed by a crisp citrus acid line & fine oak. Lovely weight, texture & length – luscious, long, dry finish. Excellent! Love it!
TONY BISH WINES ‘TWO TERRACES’ CHARDONNAY 2023
Mid yellow-gold in colour, very faint haziness, nice oily viscosity. In the nose smoky / flinty notes then aromas of peach, grapefruit citrus, toasted nuts, vanilla oak & subtle spice. On the palate, it’s weighty, creamy & textured with ripe stone-fruit, a little green apple & tart citrus flavours predominant. Medium bodied, it has excellent balance, crisp acidity is softened with creamy malo, lees & oak influence. A long, rich, memorable finish. Outstanding HB Chardonnay.