Do you drink chardonnay? Sauvignon blanc is our biggestselling white wine and pinot gris is riding high but neither of these popular grapes produces New Zealand’s greatest dry whites. Chardonnay wears that crown.
There’s an enormous range to choose from. Most wineries – especially in the North Island and upper South Island – make at least one chardonnay; many produce several and the big wineries produce dozens. The hallmark of New Zealand chardonnays is their delicious varietal intensity – the leading labels show notably concentrated aromas and flavours, threaded with fresh, appetising acidity.
Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2022
This stylish wine was handpicked in the Waihopai Valley, fermented and aged in French oak puncheons and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant and weighty and has concentrated, youthful, peachy, slightly citrusy flavours. Mealy, biscuity notes add complexity. A subtle, savoury, very ageworthy wine, it should be at its best mid-2025+. $55
Brookfields Marshall Bank Chardonnay 2021
Grown in a vineyard adjacent to the winery at Meeanee and fermented and matured in French oak barriques (half new), this is a powerful, classy, concentrated Hawke’s Bay wine. Full-bodied, it is rich and harmonious with deep, ripe stonefruit flavours, slightly buttery notes and a creamytextured finish. Drink now
