Rich, complex and finely textured, chardonnay is the foundation of most of New Zealand’s finest dry whites. Spread through all the wine regions, the grapes ripen mid-season harbouring high levels of natural sugar – hence the sturdy, full-bodied character of its wine.
Chardonnay’s fruit flavours range from the vibrant apple and lemon characters found in cool, southern regions to the lusher stonefruit – peach and apricot – flavours of North Island grapes. Styles produced range from fresh, “fruit-driven” wines (with little or no oak influence) through to multi-faceted wines made with varying use of barrel fermentation, a secondary, softening malolactic fermentation, ageing on yeast lees, lees-stirring, and maturation in French oak barrels. The finest wines are complex and lively, with intense flavours supported by appetising acidity.
Akarua Bannockburn Central Otago Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
Drinking well in its youth, this wine was fermented and matured in French oak barrels and a large sandstone amphora. Fragrant, mouthfilling and creamy-textured, it has generous, peachy flavours, is complex and savoury, and has a very harmonious finish. $30-$32
Astrolabe Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
Already highly enjoyable, this is a regional blend, hand-harvested and barrel-fermented. Full-bodied and vigorous, it has generous, vibrant, peachy, citrusy flavours, mealy and biscuity notes that add complexity, and excellent harmony and length. Best drinking 2026+. $28-$32
Babich Family Estates Organic Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
Certified organic, this single-vineyard wine was grown near Renwick and partly barrel-fermented. Mouthfilling, it has ripe, peachy and citrusy flavours gently seasoned with oak, balanced acidity and a creamy-textured, harmonious, lingering finish. $22-$25
Bilancia Tiratore Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
Estate-grown on Roys Hill, west of Hastings, this is designed as a “tighter, food-friendly wine that will age gracefully.” A fragrant wine, it is already quite open and expressive, but well worth cellaring. Combining power and restraint, it has deep, ripe stonefruit flavours and is complex, savoury, rounded and seamless. $80-$95
Black Estate North Canterbury Home Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
Certifed organic, this youthful wine was estate-grown at Omihi, hand-harvested, and fermented and matured in French oak puncheons. Fragrant and full-bodied, it has generous, peachy, gently oaked flavours with a hint of butterscotch, and excellent freshness, delicacy and complexity. $49-$54
Blackenbrook Nelson Chardonnay 2022
★★★★
This estate-grown wine was hand-picked and handled in American (mostly) oak barrels. Light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling and creamy-textured, with very good weight and depth of peachy, slightly spicy flavours, balanced acidity, and a very harmonious finish. Mealy notes add complexity. $22-$28
Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★★
This impressive, savoury wine was hand-picked at the junction of the Waihopai and Wairau valleys and barrel-fermented. Full of youthful energy, with a subtle, inviting fragrance, it is weighty and very finely textured, with ripe, peachy, citrusy, slightly mealy flavours, vibrant acidity and a well-rounded, seamless finish. $49-$60
Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
This youthful wine was mostly hand-picked in the Tukituki Valley and handled in French oak casks. Bright, light yellow/green, with a fragrant, slightly buttery bouquet, it is mouthfilling, vibrant and savoury. It has strong, vigorous, peachy fruit flavours seasoned with toasty oak, balanced acidity and very good intensity, structure and length. $22-$28
Cloudy Bay New Zealand Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
This Marlborough classic was grown in the Wairau Valley and Southern Valleys. Fermented in new oak cuves and French oak barriques, it is a vigorous, tightly structured wine, refined and full-bodied, with strong, peachy, citrusy flavours, gentle biscuity notes, fresh acidity, and excellent delicacy, harmony and length. $45-$50
Dog Point Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
This classy, estate-grown wine was hand-harvested from vines approaching 30 years old and handled in French oak barriques. Mouthfilling, vibrantly fruity and savoury, it has rich stonefruit flavours, gently seasoned with biscuity oak, lively acidity and a tight, finely poised finish. Certified organic. $40-$50
Folding Hill Bendigo Central Otago Chardonnay 2022
★★★★½
This weighty, generous, estate-grown wine was fermented and lees-matured in French oak casks. It has strong, ripe stonefruit flavours enriched by finely integrated oak, and fresh, lively acidity. Showing excellent depth, complexity and harmony, it’s already delicious. $35
Greystone Waipara Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2023
★★★★★
Organically certified, hand-harvested, and fermented and matured in French oak barriques, this is a fleshy, sweet-fruited, lively wine. It has rich, peachy, slightly buttery and toasty flavours, balanced acidity and a long, dry, very harmonious finish. $47-$55
Hunter’s Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
This highly attractive, easy-drinking wine was fermented and matured for a year in French oak puncheons. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fragrant, slightly creamy bouquet, good depth of ripe stonefruit flavours and a dry, well-rounded finish. Biscuity, savoury notes add complexity. $24-$26
Jules Taylor Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
Finely crafted for easy, early drinking, but ageworthy too, this Southern Valleys wine was fermented in tanks and barrels. Full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, it has fresh, citrusy, slightly peachy flavours to the fore, balanced acidity and a well-rounded finish. Mealy notes add a distinct touch of complexity. $22-$25
The Landing Madre Chardonnay 2021
★★★★★
This powerful Bay of Islands wine was fermented and matured in French oak casks. Mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, it has fresh acidity and concentrated, vibrant, peach and grapefruit flavours, gently seasoned with oak. Distinctive, savoury and vigorous, it is complex and finely structured. $130
Main Divide North Canterbury Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
Offering fine value, this vibrantly fruity wine was handled in French oak casks. Fragrant and mouthfilling, it has ripe stonefruit, butterscotch and toasty oak flavours that show good complexity, fresh acidity and a savoury, creamy-textured finish. It’s already very approachable. $22
Māori Point Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2023
★★★★★
This is a very savoury, ageworthy wine. Fragrant, full-bodied and vigorous, it has deep, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours and a very harmonious, finely textured finish. Mealy and biscuity notes add excellent complexity. Best drinking 2026+. $56
Mount Brown Grand Reserve North Canterbury Chardonnay 2022
★★★★½
This tightly structured, finely poised wine is very ageworthy. It is weighty and vibrant, with strong, peachy, citrusy flavours gently seasoned with oak, very good complexity, slightly creamy notes and a dry, lingering finish. $30
Nautilus Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
Mostly estate-grown at Renwick, this hand-harvested wine was fermented and matured in French oak barriques. Mouthfilling, fleshy and savoury, it has ripe stonefruit flavours, finely balanced acidity, and excellent depth, vigour, complexity and harmony. $30-$39
Neudorf Rosie’s Block Moutere Chardonnay 2023
★★★★★
Delicious in its youth, this Nelson wine was grown in Rosie’s Block, planted in 1999. Mouthfilling and rich, it has concentrated stonefruit flavours, finely integrated oak and a long, crisp finish. Full of vigour and personality, it should be at its best 2026+. Certified organic. $50-$55
Oblix Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
This bargain-priced wine was fully barrel-matured. Bright, light yellow/green, it is full-bodied and savoury, has balanced acidity and a fresh, dry finish with strong, peachy flavours. Toasty and buttery notes add complexity. (12.5% alc/vol) $15-$18
Pā Road Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
Offering top value, this lively wine is already drinking well. Mouthfilling, with generous, ripe, peachy flavours, it has a distinct touch of complexity, fresh, finely balanced acidity, and a very harmonious finish. $18
Paddy Borthwick Wairarapa Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
Estate-grown at Gladstone in the northern Wairarapa, this full-bodied wine has generous, ripe, stonefruit flavours, gentle spicy notes and a dry, finely balanced finish. Biscuity characters add complexity. $27
Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2021
★★★★★
This invitingly fragrant Hawke’s Bay wine matured for over a year in French oak casks, mostly new. It is mouthfilling and fleshy, with rich, ripe stonefruit flavours, and toasty, buttery notes that add complexity. Already delicious, it’s a finely textured wine, vigorous, savoury and very harmonious. $41-$54
Passage Rock Reserve Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
Full of potential, this is a powerful, weighty style. It has concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours strongly seasoned with biscuity oak, and a long finish. Mealy, savoury notes add impressive complexity. (14.5% alc/vol) $50
Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
This very elegant wine was hand-harvested from vines planted between 1982 and 1990. Full of cool-climate vigour, it is mouthfilling, with penetrating, citrusy, peachy flavours, finely integrated oak and good acid spine. Best drinking 2026+. $46-$50
Riverby Estate Old Vines Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
This top value wine is from vines more than 30 years old. Fragrant and fleshy, it has mouthfilling body and deep, vigorous, peachy flavours that are complex, savoury, finely poised and long. $28-$37
Rock Ferry The Corners Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2020
★★★★★
This delicious, generous, finely poised wine is full of personality. From mature vines at Rapaura, it was fermented and lees-aged in a concrete egg and a range of French oak vessels. Mouthfilling and rich, it is savoury and complex, with balanced acidity and a slightly creamy texture. Certified organic. $35-$40
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 10 Twin Hills Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
★★★★★
This very ageworthy wine was grown in the company’s Omaka Valley vineyard. Full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, it has concentrated peach and grapefruit flavours gently seasoned with biscuity oak, finely balanced acidity and a long, savoury finish. $30-$35
Seresin Marlborough Chardonnay Reserve 2022
★★★★★
Finesse is the keynote quality of this organically certified wine. Estate-grown in the Omaka Valley, it is fragrant and mouthfilling, with concentrated stonefruit flavours, finely integrated oak, fresh acidity, and impressive vigour, intensity and complexity. Best drinking mid-2025+. $47-$55
Starborough Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
★★★★½
Grown at two sites in the Awatere Valley, this bright, light yellow/green wine is invitingly fragrant and full-bodied, with generous, ripe, peachy flavours, well-integrated toasty oak adding complexity, and finely balanced acidity. $25-$28
Terra Sancta Riverblock Bannockburn Central Otago Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
This classy, finely crafted wine was estate-grown, hand-picked, and fermented and matured in French oak casks. Mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, it has strong stonefruit flavours, fresh acidity and a rich, harmonious finish. Concentrated, savoury and finely textured, it’s already delicious. $36-$44
Tohu Whenua Matua Single Vineyard Upper Moutere Nelson Chardonnay 2020
★★★★★
Drinking well now, this Nelson wine was estate-grown at Upper Moutere, hand-picked and barrel-fermented. Bright yellow/green, it is fleshy, rich and savoury, with concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours, toasty and buttery notes that add complexity, fresh acidity and excellent harmony. (14.5% alc/vol) $28-$33
Tony Bish Heartwood Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
This mouthfilling wine is full of youthful vigour. It has generous, vibrant stonefruit flavours to the fore, mealy and buttery notes that add complexity, balanced acidity and a slightly creamy texture. $40-$43
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
The winery’s flagship “black label” chardonnay is estate-grown, hand-picked, and fermented and aged for a year in French oak barrels. Bright, light lemon/green, with a fragrant, complex bouquet, it is mouthfilling, with vibrant, ripe stonefruit flavours that show good intensity. Savoury, mealy and lively, it should be at its best 2026+. $36-$40
Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
This partly barrel-fermented wine is a great buy. Grown in the Keltern Vineyard at Maraekakapo and the Phoenix Vineyard in the Tuki Tuki Valley, it displays vibrant, delicate, citrusy, peachy flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, a hint of butterscotch, and excellent vigour and depth. $15-$20
Villa Maria Keltern Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
Grown at a cool, inland site planted in 1999, this is an arresting wine from low-cropped vines. Mouthfilling, rich and savoury, it is highly complex, with deep, ripe, stonefruit flavours enriched with nutty oak, lively acidity and a long, very harmonious finish. $80-$90
Wild Earth Central Otago Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
This very youthful, single-vineyard wine was hand-picked at Pisa. Fresh, full-bodied and dry, with vigorous, peachy, citrusy flavours and biscuity, creamy notes that add complexity, it is an elegant, restrained, distinctly cool-climate style, likely to be at its best 2026+. $30-$35
Zaria Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2024
★★★★½
This fleshy, rich wine was estate-grown in the Bridge Pā Triangle and barrel-aged. Still very youthful, it is weighty, with strong, well-ripened stonefruit flavours that show considerable complexity, balanced acidity and a slightly creamy finish. $35
Note: all wines are 13.0 to 14.0% alc/vol, unless stated otherwise.