Many of New Zealand’s most prestigious white wines sell in the $40-$70 bracket. So, if you taste six local chardonnays “blind” (labels hidden), alongside six imported chardonnays in the same price category, do they hold their own, in terms of value for money?
The overseas wines were from France (3), Australia (2) and California (1). On my scoresheet, the trio from France rated, on average, fractionally higher in quality than those from New Zealand, but they cost an average of $15 more, so let’s call it a draw.
My favourite imported wines were the biscuity and complex, ageworthy Domaine Elodie Roy Hautes-Cotes de Beaune 2021 (★★★★★, $66), from France’s Burgundy region, and the elegant, intense, youthful Voyager Estate Margaret River Western Australia Chardonnay 2022 (★★★★★, $56).
Here are my notes on the six New Zealand wines, all currently available.
Elephant Hill Earth Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
★★★★½
Still youthful, this stylish wine was estate-grown predominantly in the Bridge Pā Triangle. Tightly structured, it has strong, peachy, citrusy flavours, enriched with toasty oak, fresh acidity and a lively, lingering finish. (13.5% alc/vol) $58-$65
Greystone Organic Waipara Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
This organically certified wine is powerful and weighty, with rich, ripe, stonefruit flavours, complex, savoury, and sustained. Drink now or cellar. (13.5% alc/vol) $50
Greywacke Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
★★★★
This bold, concentrated wine has a distinctly smoky bouquet. Grown principally in the lower reaches of the Brancott Valley and at Fairhall, it has deep fruit flavours and well-integrated oak, but at this tasting I found the smoky characters, which can enhance complexity, too pungent. (14.5% alc/vol) $43
Novum Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
★★★★½
This generous, lively wine is from mature vines cultivated in the central Wairau Valley. Very harmonious, it has balanced acidity, a subtle oak influence (from using just 10% new barrels), and rich, ripe, citrusy, peachy, mealy flavours. (13.5% alc/vol) $40-$50
Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Chardonnay 2021
★★★★★
Offering good value, this classy, youthful wine was hand-picked at Bridge Pā, Omahu and Mangatahi. Fleshy and sweet-fruited, it has ripe stonefruit flavours, biscuity and savoury notes adding complexity, and obvious potential for cellaring. Best drinking 2026+. (14% alc/vol) $40
Wine of the week
Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
★★★★★
My favourite wine of the tasting was grown in the Waihopai Valley. Fragrant and refined, it is complex and savoury, with deep, citrusy, peachy flavours, mealy and biscuity notes, appetising acidity and a lasting finish. Very ageworthy. (13.5% alc/vol). $55
(Note – in previous blind tastings, I have scored the Elephant Hill, Greywacke and Novum wines five stars.)
