The chardonnay grape is the source of some of New Zealand’s top white wines. By Michael Cooper.
From coastal vineyards in the Bay of Islands to elevated, inland sites at Alexandra in Central Otago, chardonnay is the source of many of this country’s greatest white wines. These are full-bodied, dry and richly flavoured, with layers of complexity derived from fermentation and lengthy maturation in oak barrels.
Varieties such as sauvignon blanc and gewürztraminer typically impress with their “leap out of the glass” aromas and pungent varietal characteristics. Chardonnay, by contrast, seduces with its substantial “mouthfeel” (combining a sense of weightiness and smoothness of texture) and savoury, subtle flavours.
Abel Tasman Chardonnay 2020
From mature vines in the Upper Moutere, this distinctive wine was fermented and aged in large French oak vats, rather than small barrels. Light lemon/green, it has fresh, vibrant, searching flavours, citrusy and slightly appley, with a restrained oak influence and racy acidity. A distinctive, energetic wine, it’s well worth discovering. (13.9% alc/vol) $30
Alexander Martinborough Chardonnay 2021
Promoted as a restrained “chablis” style, this single-vineyard wine was fermented and aged in seasoned French oak puncheons. A very elegant, mouthfilling wine, it has generous, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, balanced acidity and a finely poised, dry, lingering finish. Already very enjoyable, it should be at its best 2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $29
Askerne Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Refined and finely textured, this delicious, estate-grown wine was fermented and matured on its yeast lees for 10 months in French oak barrels. Mouthfilling, it has rich, ripe stonefruit and nutty oak flavours showing excellent concentration, delicacy, complexity and harmony. Best drinking mid-2023+. (14% alc/vol) $35
Astrolabe Marlborough Chardonnay 2020
This delicious wine is a top expression of Marlborough chardonnay. Hand-harvested in the Awatere Valley, it was fermented and matured for nine months in French oak barriques and puncheons. Bright, light lemon/green, with a fragrant, savoury bouquet, it is mouthfilling, fresh and finely poised, with deep stonefruit flavours, complex, very harmonious, well-rounded and lingering. (13.5% alc/vol) $32
Ataahua Waipara Chardonnay 2021
This finely crafted wine is already delicious, but ageworthy, too. Hand-picked and fermented in seasoned oak barrels, it is fragrant and full-bodied, with lovely vigour and depth of fresh, peachy, citrusy flavours, complex and savoury, and a very persistent finish. Offering great value, it should be at its best 2024+. (14% alc/vol) $32
Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
This finely scented wine was hand-harvested in the Waihōpai Valley, fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak puncheons, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Still extremely youthful, it has concentrated, peachy flavours, crisp and finely poised, and a rich, persistent finish. Best drinking mid-2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $50
The Boneline Sharkstone Waipara Chardonnay 2020
An emerging classic from North Canterbury. Estate-grown, it was hand-picked from mature vines and fermented in French oak barriques. Bright, light lemon/green, it is an elegant, youthful wine, mouthfilling, with deep, vibrant, citrusy, peachy flavours, gently seasoned with oak, mealy notes adding complexity and a long finish. Best drinking 2024+. (13.9% alc/vol) $55
Brookfields Marshall Bank Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Grown at a site adjacent to the winery in Meeanee and fermented and matured in French oak barriques, this is a powerful, classy, concentrated wine. Already delicious, it is full-bodied, rich and very harmonious, with deep, ripe stonefruit flavours, slightly buttery notes and a creamy-textured finish. Best drinking 2024+. (14% alc/vol) $38
Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
This youthful, mostly hand-harvested wine was fermented in French oak barrels. Bright, light yellow/green, it is mouthfilling, with concentrated, peachy, toasty flavours, showing very good complexity and fresh acidity. Best drinking 2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $25
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2020
From company-owned and growers’ vineyards, this Marlborough classic is fermented and lees-aged in French oak barriques. Likely to be long-lived, it is refined, with a fragrant, citrusy, mealy bouquet. Fresh, full-bodied and savoury, it has youthful, peachy, citrusy flavours, finely integrated oak, impressive vigour and complexity, lively acidity and a lingering finish. Best drinking 2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $45
Deep Down Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
This lovely, single-vineyard wine was grown in the Southern Valleys, and fermented and matured for nine months in French oak puncheons. Certified organic, it is full-bodied and rich, with deep, ripe stonefruit flavours to the fore, finely integrated oak adding complexity, fresh acidity, and lots of youthful vigour. A distinctive, finely crafted wine, it’s already delicious but well worth cellaring. (13.4% alc/vol) $42
Delta Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
Priced right, this easy-drinking wine was grown in the lower Wairau Valley and fermented in stainless-steel tanks and oak barrels. Fragrant, with a slightly buttery bouquet, it is full-bodied and vibrantly fruity with ripe stonefruit flavours, considerable complexity and a smooth finish. (13% alc/vol) $20
Dog Point Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2020
Certified organic, this stylish, vibrant, youthful wine was estate-grown on the south side of the Wairau Valley and barrel-aged for 18 months. Fresh and savoury, it is fragrant and full-bodied, with deep, peachy, citrusy flavours gently seasoned with biscuity oak, and a crisp, dry finish. Best drinking 2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $45
Domain Road Defiance Bannockburn Central Otago Chardonnay 2020
Already drinking well, this single-vineyard wine was barrel-fermented. Lemon-scented, it has strong, ripe, citrusy, peachy flavours, mealy, savoury notes adding complexity and a slightly buttery finish. (14% alc/vol) $32
Flaxmore Moutere Nelson Chardonnay 2021
Already highly enjoyable, this invitingly fragrant wine was hand-picked at Upper Moutere and barrel-aged for nine months. Mouthfilling, it is creamy textured with ripe stone-fruit flavours, showing very good complexity, lively acidity and excellent balance and depth. Best drinking 2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $33
Forrest Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
Offering surprising richness and complexity for a chardonnay in its price range, this sturdy, savoury wine has concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours, slightly buttery notes, balanced acidity and loads of personality. Drink now or cellar. Fine value. (14% alc/vol) $28
Greenhough Road Block Nelson Chardonnay 2021
This generous, youthful wine was grown on the Waimea Plains and fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak casks. Fragrant and mouthfilling, it has concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours threaded with fresh acidity, very good vigour and complexity and a creamy-smooth finish. (13% alc/vol) $28
Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2021
This outstanding single-vineyard wine – my favourite in the Kumeu River range – is grown on slopes above Maté's Vineyard, directly over the road from the winery at Kumeū. Still very youthful, it is powerful, with mouthfilling body, deep, vigorous, peachy, spicy flavours, finely integrated oak, impressive complexity and a very harmonious, long finish. Already delicious, it should be at its best 2024+. (14% alc/vol) $85
The Landing Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2020
Estate-grown and hand-picked at a coastal site in the northern Bay of Islands, this refined wine was fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak barriques. Still unfolding, it is full-bodied with generous, vibrant fruit flavours, showing impressive delicacy, complexity and depth, balanced acidity and lovely harmony. Well worth cellaring, it’s a very “complete” wine. (14% alc/vol) $48
Maison Noire Ngatarawa Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Offering great value, this fragrant, youthful wine is already drinking well. A single-vineyard wine, it was hand-picked in the Bridge Pā Triangle and fermented in oak barrels. Mouthfilling, it has concentrated, ripe, vigorous, stonefruit flavours, with smoky and toasty notes adding excellent complexity, balanced acidity and obvious cellaring potential. Best drinking mid-2024+. (13% alc/vol) $28
Mission Jewelstone Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
Designed as a “full, expressive style”, this youthful wine was fermented and matured on its yeast lees in French oak barrels. Bright, light yellow/green, it is powerful, with highly concentrated, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours seasoned with toasty oak, balanced acidity and a well-rounded, very harmonious finish. Already approachable, it’s well worth cellaring to 2025+. (14% alc/vol) $40
Neudorf Home Block Moutere Chardonnay 2021
This organically certified Nelson wine is very “complete”. Grown in clay soils threaded with gravel, and barrel-aged on its full yeast lees for 10 months, it is mouthfilling, fresh and energetic, with deep, vibrant, peachy, citrusy flavours, appetising acidity and a tightly structured, sustained finish. Best drinking 2025+. (14% alc/vol) $90
Odyssey Hera Limited Release Gisborne Chardonnay 2021
This powerful, lush wine was grown in the Golden Triangle, hand-harvested, and fermented and matured in French oak casks. Light gold, it is a weighty, arrestingly savoury, concentrated and complex wine, with deep, ripe, peachy, slightly spicy flavours and a rich, well-rounded finish. Gisborne chardonnay at its finest, it’s already delicious. (13.5% alc/vol) $60
On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2020
This classy, single-vineyard wine is youthful but already delicious. Bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant and full-bodied, with rich, vibrant, well-ripened stonefruit flavours, slightly toasty notes adding complexity, balanced acidity and a long finish. Best drinking 2023+. (13.2% alc/vol) $40
Pask Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020
This Hawke’s Bay chardonnay was crafted to highlight vibrant fruit characters, with a subtle wood influence. Delicious now, it is a refined wine, partly hand-picked, and fermented in a mix of French oak barriques and puncheons. Mouthfilling, it has generous, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours, finely integrated oak, vaguely buttery notes and excellent depth and harmony. Drink now or cellar. Fine value. (14% alc/vol) $22
Seresin Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
This well-priced, organically certified wine is designed to “focus on the textural element of the palate rather than emphasising primary fruit characters”. Estate-grown at the Raupo Creek Vineyard in the Omaka Valley, it was hand-picked, and fermented and matured for six months in French oak barriques and puncheons. An elegant wine, it is fresh and full-bodied, with peachy, slightly toasty flavours showing considerable complexity, lots of youthful vigour, good acid spine and a lengthy finish. Best drinking mid-2024+. (13% alc/vol) $26
Smith & Sheth Cru Howell Vineyard Chardonnay 2020
From mature vines in the Bridge Pā Triangle, this barrel-fermented wine is extremely stylish. Bright, light lemon/green, it is full-bodied, with deep, youthful peach and grapefruit flavours, a subtle seasoning of biscuity oak and a long, savoury, very harmonious finish. Best drinking 2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $60
Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Certified organic, this estate-grown wine was hand-picked and fermented and matured for seven months in French oak barriques. Weighty and sweet-fruited, it has generous ripe-fruit flavours showing very good richness, complexity and harmony, and a very smooth finish. Delicious young. (14% alc/vol) $27
Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2021
Estate-grown at Rapaura, this is a highly approachable wine. Bright, light lemon/green, it is full-bodied, with strong, youthful, ripe, peachy flavours, finely integrated oak, savoury notes adding complexity and fresh acidity. Best drinking mid-2023+. (14% alc/vol) $25
Te Awanga Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022
Grown inland at Mangatahi, this full-bodied, finely balanced wine is already drinking well. It offers very good depth of fresh, ripe, peachy flavour, with mealy and toasty notes adding complexity and a well-rounded finish. (13% alc/vol) $22
Tony Bish Skeetfield Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Full of personality, this classy wine is from mature vines in the Skeetfield Vineyard at Ohiti. Fermented and matured for a year in French oak barriques, it is fragrant and sturdy, with ripe stonefruit flavours showing excellent depth and complexity, and a finely poised, rich finish. Best drinking 2024+. (14% alc/vol) $70
Wild Earth Central Otago Chardonnay 2022
Highly enjoyable in its youth, this skilfully crafted, single-vineyard wine was grown at Pisa, and fermented and aged for 10 months in French oak barriques. Full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, it has fresh, generous, peachy flavours, biscuity and mealy notes adding good complexity, and a smooth, slightly creamy finish. (14% alc/vol) $35