Chasing the best quality /price ratio between $20 and $60
You can read Part 5 HERE, Part 3 HERE, Part 2 HERE, and Part 1 HERE
In earlier parts of my ongoing quest for great good value Chardonnays, I added the ‘best’ bets from other reviewers. This time, that was too hard. The WineFront guys didn’t do their annual survey, perhaps due to Covid lockdowns, and Halliday’s WC list of best chardies is up in the $$$ stratosphere.
The Halliday Chardonnay Challenge, which has nothing to do with the man apart from his name, went ahead and now includes a Cabernet Challenge as well. The list was too long already, and now it’s as big the senate ticket in tomorrow’s election. I’ve added the list of the winners – wines scoring 96 points or more – at the end of this post.
Huon Hooke’s Real Review produced some useful suggestions, which I’ve included in this list.
I’ve added more Kiwi Chardonnays to this list, and some from further afield. This is not a purist’s pursuit but a search for the best value Chardonnays we can lay our hands on in Australia.
I’ve also stayed mostly away from the Mod Aussie styles, the reductive ones that that throw struck matches around by the handful. When this kind of trickery is overdone as it has been these last years, it’s an aberration. We’ve found a couple of new entries on the other end of the spectrum, both from California.
At the entry level, giant killer Hoddles Creek’s price for the Estate Chardonnay has shot up to $24, which is fair enough. Higher up the scale, Dappled Appelation’s production of the 2020 was miniscule, but the 2021 is more plentiful. It’s gone up as well
I had a chance to taste some Kumeu River chardies with my best mate Reg who has long been a champion of this winery in the Auckland suburbs. The only wine they make that comes in under $20 is the Kumeu Village Chardonnay, which I’ve recommended more than once in recent years.
The other wines from this winery cost a bit more, but they’ve demolished some of the finest white Burgundies in blind tastings, over the last decade. KR Estate and the Ray’s Road from Hawke’s Bay fit in the under $50 group, while the Coddington, Hunting Hill and Maté’s Vineyard are around $65, $90 and $120. Given that they’ve beaten grand cru Burgundies that cost 10 times more in blind tastings, they’re stunning bargains.
Now that their fame has spread around the globe, these chardies are on allocation. We’re a bit late catching up with the 2020s, so be quick if you want some. If you miss out, relax because 2021 was another top vintage – please check my post on the astounding success of this family business.
The Short List
Kumeu Village Chardonnay 2021 -$20 at Kemenys. This has been our go-to chardy for years. I wish I’d bought more of the 2020, which was the best vintage winemaker Michael Brajkovich says he’s seen in 40 years. The 2021 has a bit more to it, and needs a little more time to settle down. 93 points.
Tim Atkin is a big fan as well, but I think he got carried away. ‘This is only Kumeu River’s entry-point wine,’ he says, ‘but is typically well balanced, refreshing and focused, with just a hint of oak spice, leesy complexity, some struck match undertones and a chiselled, refreshing finish. A Kiwi wine that’s better than many Puligny-Montrachets.’
Te Mata Estate Chardonnay 2020 – $23 at Our Cellar. Made by one of New Zealand’s best wineries, this wine tends to show cool restraint and classic lines. The warm 2020 vintage has produced a richer chardie with ripe stone fruits, without losing its classic lines. 94 points.
Robert Mondavi private Selection Buttery Chardonnay 2019 – $22 at Summer Hill Wine. Nothing subtle about this wine made for those of us who hanker after the chardies of yesteryear. Ripe peaches, more oak than butter at this stage, soaked in vanilla essence, with a creamy texture that lingers. Try it with full-flavoured foods – we had it with a Cassoulet, and it was a good match. 93 points. Good drinking now, and will improve for a year or 2.
Creamery Chardonnay 2020 – $24 at Our Cellar. Made by O’Neill Vintners, who make ripe Chardonnay from grapes grown in California – Monterey, Paso Robles and Clarksburg. It’s 100% barrel fermented, 100% malolactic fermentation, and spends seven months in American and French oak. Younger and more restrained than the 2019, but the style and build is the same. It’s good, rich drinking now, and will fill out with another year or two. 93+ points. BUY.
Creamery Chardonnay 2019 – $28 at Wine Square. This was the crowd favourite at a recent lunch we had for a big birthday with family and friends. So many of us prefer this style of ripe, peachy, creamy and buttery chardy to the austere grapefruit concoctions so popular with somms and critics. The 2019 is a little richer than the 2020 at this timeIn California they know how to fine-polish these styles too. Gorgeous drink, usually sells for around $30 or more. 94 points. BUY.
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay 2019 – $32 at Jim’s Cellars. In this case. La Crema refers not to a creamy Chardonnay but to the the cream of the crop – La Crema Viñera was the original name of the winery when it was founded in 1979. Still, the wine delivers peaches and cream with a buttery smoothness, backed by vanillan oak – less than the Mondavi – in a crisp, balanced, polished package. Malolactic fermentation and 8 months on lees with regular stirring. Good drinking, but a touch expensive for what is. 93 points.
Flametree Chardonnay 2020 – $24 at Winestar. I haven’t tried this vintage, but Huon Hooke says this would have to be one of the best buys under $30: ‘Light, bright yellow colour, with a complex spicy, smoky, struck-flint reductive and honey-tinged bouquet, almost Chablis-like. Delicious flavour, refined and penetrating, tensioned and long-lingering. It has lemon-citrus, honey and mineral-chalky flavours in a beautifully balanced combination. Good acidity drives the long finish. An excellent wine. Astounding value. 95 points.’
Isabel Marlborough Chardonnay 2019 – $28 at DM’s ($25 member offer at the time of writing). The fruit is stronger than the 2018, classic stone fruits and almonds; it’s a big mouthful, and the oak is a touch less heavy here. Less struck match funk too. Well integrated already but will improve over the next year or three. 95 points. The 2020 has just appeared on the shelves – the fruit is richer and more forward, but it needs more time to settle down.
Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay 2019 – $29 at United Cellars. A great chardie from the Mornington Peninsula at a sharp price, and ready to enjoy. It has enough flesh on its bones, the fruit is white peachy, the oak nods toward cashews, and there’s a soft touch of struck match. It’s a vibrant chardy, full of life and gorgeous flavour. Perfect pitch, and ready to drink. 95 points. Grab some while the price is so sharp.
Oakridge VS Henk Chardonnay 2019 – this has been one of our favourite chardies these last 12 months, but it’s just about all gone. There’s some left at Crown Cellar & Co for $38, and at Cellars for $40 in a 6-pack with free shipping across Oz. The prices are up but the wine is worth it. The subtle layers of flavours have real depth and intensity here – stone fruits and a squeeze of lime, almonds and cashews, cool minerals on the long finish. Great balance of flesh and fine bones, lots of finesse. Last year I thought Huon Hooke’s score of 97 points was a notch too high but now I agree. This is one of the top wines on this list.
Dog Point Chardonnay 2019 – $34 at Summer Hill Wine. White peach, citrus, grapefruit, spicy oak, good depth an intensity wine with a fine line of acid. Malolactic fermentation has added a creamy texture with hints of toast and butterscotch. 95 points.
Merricks Estate Chardonnay 2021 – $35 at Nicks. Haven’t tried the 2021, but the folks at this long-established winery on the Mornington Peninsula haven’t put a foot wrong in a long time. The 2021 is more opulent than usual, according to the guys at Nicks who score it 96 points – check their review at the link.
Dominique Portet Origine Chardonnay 2019, Yarra Valley – $36 at Wineaway. Dominique Portet has been making wine down under since the late 1970s, starting with immensely tannic reds in the Victorian Pyrenees. In 2000 he moved to the Yarra Valley, and now son Ben is helping with the winemaking. This wine is new to me, but The Real Review gives it a rave review.
‘The fruit for this wine is sourced from a mature vineyard in the Upper Yarra and it displays all that high-quality Yarra chardonnay should. This is archetypal gear: Lifted, layered and complex aromas of grapefruit pith, struck-match, bacon fat, grilled nuts and nougat. The palate delivers big time: stone fruit, melon, nutty, mealy, minerally, textured and layered. There’s a whole lot going on here and it’s très smart. 96 points. Outstanding value.
Medhurst Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 – $38 at Langton’s. ‘Wowee,’ says Jane Faulkner at the Wine Companion. ‘This is a bit of rock’n’roll. All citrus tones, with flint, fennel and daikon. It’s complex and savoury, with lots of texture. Brilliant acidity wraps it up tightly. Moreish and utterly delicious. 96 points.’
Dexter Chardonnay 2019 – $40 at Winesquare. Tod Dexter has been making great Chardonnays on the Mornington Peninsula for years. The hallmarks are intense flavours combined with finesse and purity, energy and drive. Perfect pitch, truly classic style. 96 points
Te Mata Estate Elston Chardonnay 2020 -$40 at United Cellars. ‘This is the first wine I have scored 100 points,’ said Bob Campbell MW in 2014 about Te Mata’s top chardy; he runs the NZ arms of The Real Review.
The 2020 reflects the warm vintage. I can’t improve on Huon Hooke’s review: ‘The bouquet is very rich and complex—roasted hazelnuts, buttered sweet corn, skillfully integrated oak and no reduction. This all translates to a beautifully framed palate, which is tremendously deep and intense, powerful and long, with multi-faceted flavours that will only grow and build more detail if given more time. An outstanding full-bodied chardonnay… 95 points’
Santolin Gladysdale Chadonnay 2020 – $42 at Prince Wine Store. This vibrant chardy from the upper Yarra Valley has a rich, seductive nose that makes you want to find out more. The palate delivers white peaches and nectarines with a squeeze of grapefruit, a sprinkle of nut meal and exotic spices. The wine’s bones are cool-climate delicate but the flavour is rich and the texture creamy. There’s a lovely tension that gives an extra lift to the wine. A winner. 96 points.
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2020 – $42 at Good Pair Days. This is about the last place with stocks of this wine. It’s still a bit reserved but shows the hallmarks of the style, the rich, round fruit, the seamless integration of gentle oak, the fine acid needed for graceful aging. It just needs a couple more years to fill out. 95 points. BUY. Bob Campbell says the wine is as good as any he’s seen under this label.
Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay 2020 – $43 at MyCellars. This is one of the examples from the mid-price section of great Chardonnays Matthew Jukes makes in Margaret River. Just a hint of struck match on the nose, lots of rich goodies on the palate, from stone fruits and nutty oak to chalk and gravel dust; there’s even a hint of butter. 96 points.
Kumeu River Ray’s Road Chardonnay 2020 – $48 at Summer Hill Wine. This comes from their recently acquired Hawke’s Bay vineyard. I expected a leaner style, but the wine is rich and round, a polished mouthful of silken texture. All class, and likely to give winemakers in Burgundy a big scare. 95 points.
Neudorf Home Block Moutere Chardonnay 2020 – $55 at Winesquare. One of the best Kiwi wineries IMHO, along with Te Mata and Ata Rangi. They’re based at Nelson, not far from Blenheim on the northern tip of the south island. Moutere is an area where the soils consist of clay and gravel.
I haven’t tried this vintage, but Bob Campbell says it’s more than good: ‘Delicious, finely-nuanced Chardonnay with grapefruit, citrus, stone fruit, ginger, oyster-shell and baguette crust flavours. A taut, nervy wine, with a delicious backbone of fruity acidity helping to drive a lengthy, mouth-watering finish. 97 Points
Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2019 – $60 at Winesquare. The Coddington vineyard produces the richest, most seductive expressions of the KR range. Ripe peaches and apricots do the talking here, backed by subtle oak suggesting hazelnut meal. It is the biggest wine in the KR range, yet kept neat and tidy by the minerals on the finish and the fine natural acidity these wines have. Fewer than 1000 dozen made. 96 points.
Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2020 – $64 at Winesquare. This vineyard in KR’s neighbourhood produces opulent Chardonnays, and 2020 added even more riches – about 1% of the grapes showed some botrytis, which added an extra touch of apricot to the wine. Seductive ripe peaches and cream do most of the talking, supported by exotic spices, French oak (30% new) and subdued struck matches. A fine line of cool acid keeps everything neat and tidy. 96 points.
Grab some for your next special occasion; these wines fly off the shelves at great speed, and Auckland’s urban sprawl casts a big shadow over the vineyard’s future.
The Halliday Chardonnay Challenge 2021
