Think You Know Chardonnay? These Bottles Will Surprise You

From Burgundy to New Zealand and beyond, Chardonnay’s global presence reveals how local winemakers flex their creativity. [...] Read More... The post Think You Know Chardonnay? These Bottles Will Surprise You appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

May 21, 2025 - 13:55

To the Anything-But-Chardonnay club, we have one word: sorry. In the world of white wine, the varietal still rules—despite decades of bad press around “buttery” being the grape’s defining quality and snobs declaring it uncool.

Chardonnay is the most widely planted white grape on the planet, beloved by growers for its adaptability and by winemakers for its versatility. Because of this, the wine’s regional nuances are vast and varied. Of course, there’s the richer side with vanilla notes courtesy of oak, which put California on the map. Then there is the crisp, high-acid style that aging in stainless steel achieves, which Chablis has built its reputation around. From France to the United States, New Zealand and beyond, there are exceptional bottles produced all over the world.

To help you get started on your Chardonnay journey (or change some ABCers’ minds) we pulled together the best selections for every palate.

Burgundy

Burgundy is sacred ground for Chardonnay, where white wine is synonymous with the varietal. “When my nose catches an ethereal mix of delicate florals, vibrant citrus—whether lean or rich—and a whisper of minerality, like salt or limestone, I know I’m in Burgundy,” says Anna-Christina Cabrales, Wine Enthusiast’s tasting director. “It’s a complete, unmistakable expression—one that’s nearly impossible to replicate.”

Domaine Laroche 2022 Les Clos (Chablis)

Complex and layered, this wine strikes a beautiful balance between power and elegance, with ripe citrus, white wildflowers, and earthy white mushroom aromas. Its freshness is stunning, with bright acidity highlighting alluvial stone and mushroom notes, finishing with a fine saline edge. Stunning demonstrating it has all the potential to evolve gracefully with time. 95 points. — Anna-Christina Cabrales $220 Wine.com

Château de Chamirey 2020 La Mission Monopole Premier Cru (Mercurey)

This wine boasts a dynamic aromatic expression of ripe Meyer lemon, green pear, and gardenia, accented by vanilla pod and stone. Bright acidity is balanced by texture and warm baking spices, revealing complexity with a refreshing hint of ocean spray that tempers its richness and power. Allow it to integrate further in the bottle. Cellar well through 2028+ before revisiting. 95 points. — A.C. $90 Wine.com

Joseph Drouhin 2022 Meursault

Fine vanilla aromas complement fresh almonds and citrus fruit in this wine, creating a focused and vibrant profile with wild white flowers weaving through. Piercing acidity animates a complex palate of light pithy citrus, baked pears, and salty alluvial wet stone. With good concentration for the vintage, it offers a long yet elegant finish. Enjoyable now. 94 points. — A.C. $120 Wine.com

New Zealand

While New Zealand has become renowned for perfecting Sauvignon Blanc, the region has been steadily applying the same rigor to Chardonnay.

“New Zealand has done a lot of growing up in the last decade or so when it comes to Chardonnay,” says Christina Pickard, a Wine Enthusiast writer at large who reviews wines from the region. “Better clones, better rootstock and more knowledgeable growers and makers have raised the quality bar hugely.”

Now in its phase of experimentation, New Zealand has yet to define a singular Chardonnay style, Pickard notes. “Kiwi Chardy will, perhaps, always live in Sauvignon Blanc’s shadow; and that’s a crying shame,” she says. “But start by sipping from Chardonnay champions like those recommended below and you’ll no doubt be tempted to explore this underrated wine style more.”

Kumeu River 2023 Coddington Chardonnay (Kumeu)

A benchmark New Zealand wine that should have a place in every Chardy lover’s collection, this vintage of Coddington is especially gorgeous. A tightrope walk of briny seashell and smoke characters with bright lemon and stone fruit. The palate is poised, elegant, linear, with racy, citrusy acidity that slices through the textural weight. It’s a complete and utterly drinkable wine now. But it’d be a shame not to wait. This will evolve beautifully over the next 10-20 years. 97 points. Cellar Selection. — Christina Pickard

$63 Zachy’s

Pyramid Valley 2020 Field of Fire Chardonnay (North Canterbury)

Made for the long haul, aromas of struck match, mushroom and toasted nuts lead, with melon, lemon and white peach tucked just beneath. Like others in the single-vineyard range from this magical, biodynamically farmed site, this has a subtle stony mineral note at the core and a pulsing, lemony acidity on the palate that sculpts a straight line down the middle of the tongue, juxtaposing the chalky texture. Still a baby, this should last the ages. 95 points. Cellar Selection. — C.P.

$115 Wine.com

Dog Point 2021 Chardonnay (Marlborough)

Subtle struck match and grilled nut aromas perch just above the lemon and toast aromas without overpowering them; a salty, seashell vibe is present, too. There’s vibrant, citrusy acidity on the palate—a welcome counterweight to the richness of the oak and cream—pulsing to a long finish. 93 points. — C.P. $44 Wine.com

Australia

Picakard, who also reviews wines from Australia, calls Chardonnay from Down Under “wildly underrated.”

“I’ve said it once—OK, many times—and I’ll say it again—probably many more times—Australian Chardonnay is hands down some of the best in the world,” she says, adding that winemakers in the country “have decoded Chardonnay’s mysteries, striking a balance between bright acidity, salt-flecked vibrant fruit and toasty, flinty richness.

Of all the regions growing Chardonnay, “Margaret River in particular, with its dominant and distinctive ‘Gin Gin’ clone, proximity to the Indian Ocean and moderate temperatures, shines when it comes to this variety,” she adds.

Additionally, these bottles are food friendly and wind up on Pickard’s dinner table frequently.

Moorooduc Estate 2022 Chardonnay (Mornington Peninsula)

This is a beautiful vintage from a top producer in the coastal Mornington Peninsula region, close to Melbourne. Delicate lemon and nectarine aromas are fringed by more saline, lactic and toasty notes. The palate offers the margarita-like freshness of the best Chards, with the creamier textural nuances adding complexity and weight. A classy, elegant wine that is, dare I say it, comparable to Grand Cru Burgundy. 96 points. Editor’s Choice. — C.P. $39 Wine.com

Stella Bella 2023 Suckfizzle Chardonnay (Margaret River)

From one of Australia’s consistently great producers, the latest vintage of the memorably named Suckfizzle entices from first sniff with pithy aromas of grapefruit and melon rind. There’s salty seashell and toast notes, and a subtle struck match character. The acidity shines like a beacon, bringing flavors and textures together into one elegant yet powerful wine that pulses to a long finish. It drinks beautifully now but could cellar for at least a decade. 97 points. — C.P. $110 Stella Bella

Giant Steps 2022 Sexton Chardonnay (Yarra Valley)

Sexton is the richest of the trio of single vineyard Yarra Chards. Medium gold in hue, it opens with opulent aromas of caramel, ginger snap, citrus and mushroom. Its generosity on the palate is brightened by lovely, unforced acidity. Long, with a mineral note creeping in amidst the more polished oak-and-lees characters, this drinks nicely now but should evolve beautifully over the next several years and until 2034. 95 points. Cellar Selection. — C.P.

$60 Grand Vin Wine Merchants

California

California Chardonnays are often thought of as big, bold oak bombs in a glass. But full-bodied, buttery and vanilla-perfumed bottles are just a slice of the pie.

“While opulent, heavily oaked Chardonnays helped put California on the map, that’s not the only style that works in the Golden State,” says Tom Capo, a Wine Enthusiast writer at large who reviews wines from the region. “These exceptional examples balance sunshine and depth with dazzling acidity that lifts the wines, as well as making them far more age worthy and food friendly.”

Sandhi 2022 Romance Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills)

Toasty brioche aromas meet with seared nectarine and a kick of stone on the nose of this bottling. There’s a tremendously pithy texture on the palate, where a granite-like minerality carries vibrant flavors of citrus and brioche pastry. 96 points. — Matt Kettmann

$95 K&L Wines

Peay Vineyards 2022 Maritima Estate Chardonnay

The nose of this clean and focused Chardonnay is overflowing with aromas of bright citrus, oyster shell and bouquets of fresh cut white flowers, while the energetic palate vibrates with flavors of lemon pith, green apple, pineapple sage, lemon balm and river stones through a long and intricate finish. Exceptional now, this will flourish with a little time in the cellar. 96 points. Cellar Selection. — Tom R. Capo $80 Wine.com

DuMOL 2022 Wester Reach Chardonnay (Russian River Valley)

Bright and aromatically compelling on the nose, this Chardonnay vibrates with aromas of green apple, lemon balm, orange blossom and river rock. The palate is energetic, giving flavors of apricot and Meyer lemon peel. A massive streak of acidity rips from front to back. 95 points. Editor’s Choice. — T.R.C.

$70 Wine.com

Oregon

In Oregon, Chardonnay is much lighter and zestier than its neighbor to the south. Bottles from the state usually feature balanced acidity, crisp fruit and linear profiles with very subtle oak.

Over the past couple of decades, producers in the Willamette Valley have been making increasingly “racy, minerally wines on a high wire at lower Brix and pH levels than we had done previously” David Adelsheim, founder of Adelsheim Vineyard, told Wine Enthusiast.

“Chardonnay, both in still and sparkling wines, is a growth industry in the Willamette Valley,” says Wine Enthusiast Writer-at-Large Michael Alberty. “The wine world has devoted a lot of attention to these wines, and rightfully so. Whether you are looking for a taut style framed by electrifying acidity, like Walter Scott’s X Novo or Day’s Belle Pente Vineyard, or a slightly richer, fuller style like Ambar’s Lustral, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy—and argue over.”

Walter Scott 2022 X Novo Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills)

The steely X Novo is easily one of my favorite Willamette Valley Chardonnays. The 2022 is an aromatic treasure trove of buttered popcorn, lavender, sage, orange cake, lemons and the flinty scent of two rocks colliding to spark a flame. Palate-crunching acidity and flavors of iced lemon tea, lemon verbena, saline and white pepper seal the deal. 97 points. Editor’s Choice. — Michael Alberty $90 B21

Day 2021 Belle Pente Vineyard Chardonnay (Yamhill-Carlton)

Always one of the valley’s best Chardonnays, the 2021 is epic. Green apple slices drizzled with lime juice define an aromatic set that includes wisps of jasmine and butter. The wine’s crisp, clean texture is the backdrop for lemon-lime, mineral water and juniper berry flavors. Then there’s the acidity, which is like sheet lightning. Enjoy as many bottles as possible until 2036. 96 points. Cellar Selection. — M.A. $43 Sokolin

Ambar 2021 Lustral Chardonnay (Dundee Hills)

Kate Payne Brown has created a Chardonnay that balances electrifying acidity with opulence. The Lustral’s aromas are as fresh and saline as a maritime breeze, with a touch of seared scallops drizzled in lemon juice. Lemon gelato and lime-zest flavors intersect with notes of tangy green apple, honey and olive oil. Enjoy 2024–2036. 96 points. Cellar Selection. — M.A.

$100 Ora et Labora

Washington

Moving further north into cool-climate Washington, Chardonnay expresses crisper, lighter qualities. In his review of one of the “Cellar Selection” bottles below, Alberty likens its acidity to “sheet lightning.”

Green apple, lemon and other citrus notes are common; however, flavors and aromas are all over the map. One of Alberty’s “Editors Choice” picks boasts aromas of “chamomile tea accented by a big lemon wedge…with a mix of orange and tangerine overshadowing tonic water and toasted hazelnuts notes.” Meanwhile, another highly-rated pick is full of “swoonworthy aromatics of lavender water, earthy/funky daisies and lemon drop hard candies.”

Check them out below.

Abeja 2022 Chardonnay (Washington)

Swoonworthy aromatics of lavender water, earthy/funky daisies and lemon drop hard candies are worth $48 all by themselves. Then you get brilliant acidity providing a sharp edge to icy lemon granita, candied ginger and mint flavors. Enjoy 2024–2034, perhaps longer. 93 points. Cellar Selection. — M.A. $42 Total Wine

Passing Time 2022 Chardonnay (Columbia Valley (WA))

An orchard hits your nose with a tight spiral of peaches and yellow apples, followed by a mildly oaky touch of vanilla burnt Basque cheesecake. That alone merits this score. The bonus is the wine’s rich flavors of lemon shortbread, pears and juniper berries, all wrapped up in the glow of elevated acidity. 93 points. Editor’s Choice. — M.A. $54 Wine Watch