Mandrarossa Sicilia DOC Chardonnay 2021

11 December 2024By Yvonne

Mandrarossa Sicilia DOC Chardonnay 2021 $32 Sicilian chardonnay has a signature spine of minerality and citrus, and this vintage has that in spades. Orange zest, roast peach and hints of grilled pineapple merge on the nose and palate in this glossy, golden example. It evolves in the glass beautifully too!   Bodega Wines

Oblix Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021

7 December 2024By Yvonne

Oblix Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $18 Crafted by Michelle Richardson from fruit grown in Sir George Fistonich’s family vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels, this is a fresh, nectarine-stacked chardonnay with a core of zesty green apple and zingy acidity and lemony layers. Vibrant and faintly toasty and showing superb length of flavour.   … Read More

Te Mania Organic Nelson Chardonnay 2023

5 November 2024By Yvonne

Te Mania Organic Nelson Chardonnay 2023 $27 Here’s a chardonnay travelling down the citrus side of the street and is laced with spicy oak, almond meal complexity and edged with grilled stonefruit on the finish. Slightly short, but a good wine for a large crowd. Te Mania

Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2023

30 October 2024By Yvonne

Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2023 $42 One of my favourite chardonnay releases of the year, the Omaka Reserve is fermented entirely in American Oak and held on lees for at least 9 months to inject maximum creamy character into a bold and expressive wine. The grilled grapefruit and roasted peach notes really roar … Read More

Elephant Hill Salomé Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021

29 September 2024By Yvonne

Elephant Hill Salomé Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $95 Crafted from a 100% handpicked blend of clone 15 and Mendoza fruit from their Sea (Te Awanga) and Earth (Bridge Pa Triangle) vineyards, this, their flagship chardonnay is a powerfully structured wine erupting with complex baked stonefruit and scorched citrus, layers of cleverly balanced, caramelised oak notes, … Read More

Q Waitaki Valley Chardonnay 2021

3 September 2024By Yvonne

Q Waitaki Valley Chardonnay 2021 $42 Never heard of Q? It’s a tiny producer growing grapes in Waitaki’s deep limestone soils, only making wine when the fruit is perfect. The Waitaki wine region sits right on the southern edge of Canterbury and the northern lip of Otago, and it’s one of the most inhospitable climates … Read More

Q Waitaki Chardonnay 2023

3 September 2024By Yvonne

Q Waitaki Chardonnay 2023 $42 Incredibly golden in the glass and glowing with tropical tantalistic intensity. I love its fresh apricot and pineapple punchiness, rich viscosity and generosity of flavour. A slip of toasty oak injects complexity and another delicious dimension. Beautifully balanced, this is an excellent wine! Q Wine

Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Chardonnay 2021

30 August 2024By Yvonne

Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Chardonnay 2021 $49 Hands down and no holds barred, this is one of the loveliest versions of St Andrews chardonnay I’ve ever tasted. Energetic lemon, grapefruit and white peach punchiness merge with popcorn, toasted macadamia and a hint of gunflint on the palate. Beautifully balanced, mouthwateringly textural, softly smoky and … Read More

Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Chardonnay 2023

1 July 2024By Yvonne

Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Chardonnay 2023 $23 When Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed much of the vineyards Tony normally uses to create the Fat & Sassy, right before harvest kicked in, he wasted no time calling on friends from Marlborough to purchase some superb southern fruit, making this a blend of 25% Hawke’s Bay and 75% … Read More

Giesen Fuder Series Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2017

30 June 2024By Yvonne

Giesen Fuder Series Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 $48-$52 Sourced from one of New Zealand’s OG and most famous certified organic vineyards, this chardonnay is like a bottled version of a headline act at Glastonbury. Dua Lipa, Coldplay or Janelle Monae for example. It’s supremely talented, crammed with energy and vitality, and is quite frankly, intensely … Read More