2019 · CRU 2023 Heretaunga Chardonnay

Smith & Sheth is a Hawke’s Bay-based New Zealand wine label founded in 2014 by Master of Wine Steve Smith and Brian Sheth. Working as contemporary négociants, they hand-select fruit from premium vineyards in Heretaunga, Omahu, Wairau and Central Otago, with an emphasis on long-term grower relationships. Their philosophy is low-intervention and site-led: they believe nature is in charge, aim to express soils and place, and use natural, sustainable viticulture and the vineyard ecosystem in fermentation. Notes mention practices such as seaweed tonics and rose-based pest monitoring, though no formal sustainability certifications are cited. Steve Smith leads the winemaking, with a focus on limited-production wines including Chardonnay and Syrah.