Editorial: Vidal's is world class in a glass

Hugh Crichton, winemaker, Vidal Estate Winery, Hastings.

"Full of gunsmoke, grapefruit skin, toast, vanilla and sizzling butter aromas."

The art of articulating a wine's bouquet and palatability is a tantalising facet of the vino industry. For those of us who know little about it, the colourful hyperbole on the back of a bottle is great entertainment.

The above description was coined by judges smacking their lips after quaffing Vidal Legacy Chardonnay 2012, which this week won the International Chardonnay Trophy at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London.

For those of us who work in newsrooms and receive the unremitting screeds of press releases from wineries claiming another win or medal at yet another plonk competition, it can get a little tedious. Is there an industry with more award ceremonies?

Of course, stepping into the fray to open oneself up for critique alongside one's peers, is a courageous thing to do. The obvious trick for us observers is to apply the filter to assess who and what are trending at the apex of the trade in this region. In recent times, Vidal Estate, and its winemaking man of the hour, Hugh Crichton, is at the top of its game. There've been too many auspicious wins for this to be anything other than well deserved.

The chardonnay was also described as "distinctly modern", with "broad, rich and creamy, yet managed to retain a distinct elegance, with lovely length and a pleasingly dry finish".

Couch it whichever way you like, this is world class in a glass.