This fabulous example of a cool climate chardonnay is all about contained precision. The scents it offers up are subtle, …

Beguiling scents – apple strudel, citrus and a hint of caramel – lead the way. In the mouth it is equally rewarding, especially …

The nose of this wine is impressive: intense saline and flinty scents, laced with a dash of spice – John Belsham thought white …

This wine leans more toward the “trad” camp. Stonefruit, melon and grain flavours emerge, with a light dusting of oak. It is …

Grown using six clones of chardonnay, this wine triggered a lot of panel discussion. A  flinty, smoky layer hangs over …

Vidal winemaker Hugh Crichton’s approach and devotion to chardonnay has won him many accolades. This is a classic Legacy: a weighty, concentrated wine with …

Once again, you have to hand it to the Villa Maria Cellar Selection label. This chardonnay delivers a lot of complexity for …

Keltern is one of the country’s few chardonnay vineyards that is a strong brand in its own right, thanks to wines like this. …

This is the first Marlborough Letter Series Chardonnay to be released by Brancott Estate. Ripe and eager to please, a …

Cameron Douglas enjoyed the “mix of pristine fruit, flinty elegance and smart, measured oak”. The fruit, which has density and an attractive greengage plum …

The fruit from two Bay vineyards (Corner 50 and Strathallan) finds its way into this accomplished wine. Flinty minerality, toast, citrus and oral notes …

Grown on a chalky Waipara hillside, this wine charmed the panel with its opulent nose and extroverted palate. The concentrated, ripe stonefruit (peach, …

This leading Martinborough label’s chardonnays have been impressive of late, and this new edition maintains the momentum. The only Martinborough …

The Cell Block name on this wine is in reference to the grower, a former NZ Police detective. The wine …

This wine provoked a lot of debate. It is a powerful, raw style with an intriguing flavour profile. Saline, earthy, citrus …

Trinity Hill winemaker Warren Gibson nailed it with this 2013 rendition. It has a settled, harmonious quality. Around a core of …

One of three Vidal Legacys to be awarded four stars or more, this wine carries its years well. “She’s a …

The nose of this wine has everything you want from a modern chardonnay: wisps of flinty smokiness, citrus flowers, toast …

Gisborne’s chardonnay-friendly terroir comes through in this light-stepping, concentrated example. Lemon curd, toasty oak and an attractive mineral seam all …

Grown on the organically certified Headwaters vineyard near Renwick, this is an elegant wine that rewards time in the glass. …

Crafted by the young and talented Chloe Parkinson, this is a lovely example of a lighter, delightfully refreshing, and interesting …

Winemaker Chris Scott had wonderful fruit to work with in 2013 and used it to ‘grand’ effect in this limited …

The Church Road team’s affinity for chardonnay often results in great bargains like this. It’s a charming wine in a …

Fans of flinty, smoky chardonnay – this is the wine for you. “Powerful palate behind dancing sulphides (aka the flinty …

Followers of the Clearview Reserve (and they are numerous) will be thrilled with this latest offering. Toasty butterscotch scents become …

Another wine that delivers big on the price-quality ratio. The nose is focussed with a white pepper note and a …

Pale in hue and reserved aromatically, this wine is no show pony – rather an essay in restraint. Give it …

Andrew Parkinson was taken with this wine’s “chablisien” qualities. It crackles with verve and energy, a swift flow of pure …

This label’s chardonnays have for too long been overshadowed by its pinot noir sibling. This rendition is a well-integrated package …

“A lemon meringue pie chardonnay,” said Andrew Parkinson. Silvery flint notes provide balance to the sweet lime flavours. This is …

Grown on a gentle slope at the sea end of the Wairau Valley, this has long been a chardonnay to …

“A well made crowd pleaser,” noted Cameron Douglas. A generous helping of oak is a key component of this chardonnay, …

This classy wine was made by the experienced Rod McDonald. Gentle white flower scents are the prelude to an exquisite, …

Rod McDonald’s own label goes from strength to strength. Ripe stonefruit scents lead through to an explosive mouthful, brimming with …

This is a busy, generous wine, full of energy and stacked with flavour. Sweet vanillan oak, peach and apple, cream …

Grown on Waiheke in what was an excellent chardonnay vintage and crafted by the experienced James Rowan, this wine provides …

This wine’s lemon-gold colour is wonderful; so are its scents of toast, smoke and tarte au citron. In the mouth …

Very different in style from its Hawke’s Bay cousin of the same vintage, this wine’s cooler origins come through in …

This is a thrilling, thought-provoking wine. Salty, milky, fennel-like aromas usher in a green-edged but deceptively rich mouthful, very pure …

A fascinating nose of meal, biscuit and mineral notes provides liftoff. In the mouth this wine’s touch is sure and …

W5 (which stands for ‘Which Was What Was Wanted’) is a wine produced from the fruit of a number of …

Lifted, fresh aromas akin to dill and honeydew melon provide a modest intro. In the mouth the wine grows considerably, …

A wine of lightness and loveliness from an experienced Marlborough hand. Lively citrus and mineral notes, along with subtle dabs …