Odyssey Reserve Iliad Gisborne Chardonnay 2025

The Iliad is Odyssey's reserve-tier Gisborne Chardonnay, sourced from the Golden Triangle and given extended oak ageing and lees contact to develop the intensity and complexity Rebecca Salmond reserves for her finest expression of this variety.

Reserve Iliad | Gisborne Golden Triangle | 95-Point Rated

Tasting Notes

Richly fragrant, youthful and creamy, with a tight array of intense grapefruit, peach and fig flavours, it shows lovely delicacy and depth. Lifted citrus, floral and peaches on the nose followed by a full, rich palate showing round, silky texture and well balanced acidity.

The flagship Odyssey Chardonnay: generous, complex and built for the medium term, with remarkable integration of fruit, oak and natural acidity.

Why you'll love it: This is serious Gisborne Chardonnay at its finest, the kind of wine that belongs on a special occasion table. Consistent 95-point recognition from Wine Orbit reflects just how precisely Rebecca has mastered this site and variety.

Reviews

95 points, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit (March 2026): "Wonderfully fruited and richly expressed, the wine shows grilled peach, mango, lemon zest, vanilla, and assorted nut aromas. On the palate, it's succulent and plush with excellent weight and persistence. Gorgeously composed and expressed with a prolonged, complex finish."

The Process

Handpicked from select Gisborne Golden Triangle parcels, then aged in French oak with extended lees contact to develop the wine's layered vanilla and hazelnut complexity. The creamy texture builds through time on lees while natural acidity maintains freshness.

About Odyssey Wines

Odyssey Wines is owned by Rebecca Salmond, who trained at Massey University in New Zealand and Adelaide University's Roseworthy College in Australia, graduating with a degree in Biotechnology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Winemaking Science. She then worked in some of the world's finest wine regions: Burgundy, Bordeaux and Cote Rotie in France; Alto Adige and Sicily in Italy; Marlborough and Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. Rebecca launched Odyssey in 1994 with small amounts of premium wines. Odyssey now owns 68 acres in Marlborough's Brancott Valley with 25 acres under vine, managed organically. All wines are single vineyard.

Perfect with roast lobster, crayfish thermidor, or a whole roasted chicken with tarragon butter. The richness and fine acidity of this wine are made for celebratory dishes.

Browse more Chardonnay wines or our Premium NZ$75+ collection, or call or text Laura on 021 591 500 for a personal recommendation.