One of the world’s most talented winemakers

2012 Vidal, Legacy Chardonnay, Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand (£39.20, NZHouseOfWine.co.uk; Cambridge Wine, 01223-568989; Brooksby Wines, 020-7317 7170; The New Zealand Cellar, 020-3662 7000; Noel Young, 01223-566744; Hot Corks, 01622-884453; Whalley Wines, 01254-822581).

For my 500th wine column in this esteemed tome it is my pleasure to draw your attention to one of the finest and most talented winemakers in the world Hugh Crichton. A quiet man, a great thinker, a peerless winemaker and a great palate, this fellow has been fastidiously making some of the world's most arresting wines at Vidal for a decade, but I doubt that very many of you will have ever heard of him.

Every year, the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association sends me the finest 12 wines of the year in order to give mean overview of the vintage. This year the 2013 VidalLegacy Syrah and 2013 Legacy Cabernet Merlotwere the top two wines. These will appear on theshelves later in the year, but there is older stockof both wines with the merchants mentionedabove.

MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

The standout chardonnay at this year's NewZealand Wine Annual tasting was the 2014Legacy and my featured 2012 was my top whitewine of 2015. This column is wholly obsessedwith superstar wines, but today it is all abouta superstar winemaker and his prodigiousportfolio.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of theInternational Wine & Spirit Competition'sCommunicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.