Seven incredible styles of chardonnay to swirl in your glass
Chardonnay has shaken its daggy reputation to become one of the most popular wine varieties in Australia. Here are some of our favourites to swirl in your glass.
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It’s official, chardonnay has toppled shiraz as Australia’s largest wine variety.
The Kath and Kim fave has shaken its daggy reputation to be among the most produced — and popular — grape in the country, knocking shiraz from top spot for the first time in 11 years.
New Wine Australia figures reveal a 31 per cent increase in the volume of chardonnay grapes crushed in this year’s vintage – to 333,000 tonnes – exceeding the 298,000 tonnes of shiraz production, which was down 14 per cent to its lowest level since the drought-affected 2007 vintage.
Here are seven unique styles, of varying price points, to swirl in your glass.
SEVEN CHARDONNAY STYLES TO TRY
2019 Robert Mondavi Butter chardonnay: $23
Region: Napa Valley, California
A ripe nose of white and yellow peaches meets lolly shop confectionary. She’s floral and sweet, but dry to taste. Usual suspects of crisp green apple and tangy peaches, kick into gear mid-palate with a boisterous buttery mouthfeel. Grapefruit keeps it in line. Not as expressive as other Californian chardonnay. An easy drinker.
Dan Murphy’s
2022 Rustenberg Stellenbosch chardonnay: $32
Region: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Warm buttered toast, popcorn, vanilla spice, apricots at their finest, subtle struck match. Opens into a creamy mouthfeel,sweet with ripe yellow and white nectarines, green apples and orange. Medium weighted wine that’s inherently chardonnay equal measures oak, toast and fruit. Super long finish. A steal.
Armadale Cellars, Primrose and Vine, Swords South Melbourne
2020 Nocton chardonnay: $35
Region: Hobart, Tasmania
A “chardonnay” for the “non-chardy” drinker. A force of feijoa, green apple and lemon on the nose. Pithing with lemon juice and rind, chirpy green apple flavours, tempered creamy mid-palate that adds weight and structure to free-form fruit. Matured in stainless steel, instead of oak, for a fresh and fun flavour.
noctonwine.com.au
2020 Palliser Estate Martinborough chardonnay: $40
Region: Martinborough, New Zealand
Flinty, struck match, sourdough, spice. Takes some warming up to get chatting. Juicy fruited, following through with wicked texture and minerality, plus yoghurty tartness. Ripe yellow nectarines, peaches, green apples and grapefruit. Poised and proper.
Melbourne Wine House
2021 Rustenberg Five Soldiers chardonnay: $75
Region: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Has swagger that commands attention. Levels up from Rustenberg’s base-level chard, with pronounced popcorn, marzipan, orange,apricot and pear. Has a buttery smooth mouthfeel, bracing with orange acidity and sweet ripe stone fruit. A neverending finish.Rich and regal like the queen that she is. Buy two bottles – one to drink now and another to put away.
Armadale Cellars, Carnegie Cellars
2017 Levantine hill chardonnay: $80
Region: Yarra Valley
A weighty wine with a skinny mentality. Chaotic nose of struck match, charred oak, ripe peaches, yellow apples and saffron spice. Plush with more ripe stone fruit that plunge into a cushy crash mat of nougat and pistachio. Upbeat grapefruit and minerality lighten things up. A neverending finish. Leave the bottle out of the fridge for half a for best results.
* Current vintage 2022, Dan Murphy’s
2022 Howard Park Allingham chardonnay: $97
Region: Margaret River, Western Australia
A movie time wine with buttered popcorn notes and feature-length finish. The Margaret River maiden is perfumed with summer stone fruit aromas, grapefruit and buttered toast, falling into a bold palate of ripe nectarines, lemon curd and juice. She’s buttery without overexaggeration. Generous and poised. Just noticeable acidity does its thing without too many questions.A timeless classic.
Boccaccio Cellars
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