Slender, sophisticated, full of vitality… the star of the show has a distinctive personality. It leads with a white pepper …

Central Otago makes the Top 10 with this Bendigo-grown gem from winemaker Christopher Keys. It’s a complex expression, with clever …

It was love at first taste for the entire panel with this wine. “Understated, but so elegant and sophisticated,” said …

This is the product of another vineyard (the Clayvin) where chardonnay excels. Its nose had Jane Boyle wanting to “smell …

Lifted, smoky gunflint scents set up what is a funky ride. This is fascinating wine, driven by minerally acidity and …

Winemaker Hugh Crichton’s Legacy chardonnays are a taonga, with each vintage release eagerly anticipated. The 2014 has settled in well. …

Made using the best fruit grown across a number of Gisborne vineyards, this is a lively package. Mealy, toasty aromatics …

Villa makes it a Top 10 triple with this latest rendition of the consistent Hawke’s Bay Reserve. Out-there, flinty complexity …

The Keltern Vineyard near Maraekakaho should be renamed the ‘Midas’ – its chardonnays invariably come up gold. This new release …

Esk winemaker Gordon Russell’s chardonnays have become edgier and flintier over the last few vintages, and are all the better …

Winemakers Matt Thomson and Hamish Clark source some terrific fruit from the Cell Block (so named because the vineyard is …

This new Legacy release is a typically out-there, proud, beautifully crafted wine with a glittering career ahead of it. It …

This ever-reliable West Auckland label founded and owned by the Ivicevich family has produced a crisp, elegant package. The flinty …

The experienced Ant Mackenzie currently makes the wine for this small, family-owned Hawke’s Bay label. This is a generous chardonnay …

Another gem from Warren Gibson and Lorraine Leheny’s Bilancia label. It offers a hint of struck match together with citrus, …

O for… operatic? This is certainly a chardonnay of grand gestures and big themes. The toasty, butterscotch oak provides a …

This is a very well made example of the traditional style of chardonnay. Its focus is a lovely pure ripe …

“Fine lines with a lovely concentration of fruit,” noted John Belsham. Oyster shell, vanillin, lanolin, and citrus notes all move …

This is a restrained package that starts sotto voce but grows in the mouth, leaving a trail of minerality, citrus, …

This smartly priced chard from the Foley Family Wines stable should build quite a following. It’s creamy-textured and juicy, the …

Here’s another Marlborough chardonnay offering excellent value. The nose is instantly lovable – caramel, hazelnut – and in the mouth …

Top-notch fruit and a lot of winemaker love is directed at Mission Estate’s Jewelstone range, and it shows with this …

Fruit from a trifecta of Hawke’s Bay vineyards finds its way into this wine. Still fresh and youthful, it has …

There’s a lot to get excited about here, not least the price. This is a snappy, engaging wine with layers …

Chardonnay likes it down in Central Otago (not one entrant from the region received less than three stars at this …

Kate Radburnd’s vast experience of making chardonnay in the Bay is in evidence here. This is a lovable style: gentle …

This is a racy little number – a Mini Cooper S of a chardonnay. After leading with flinty scents, it …

Established in 1983, this popular Marlborough brand can still be relied on for wines with panache. This Reserve release is …

Over the last few vintages, Spy Valley’s Paul Bourgeois has quietly been making some of the best value chardonnays around. …

Now under the ownership of Villa Maria, Te Awa’s chardonnays have become wines to look out for. This one is …

Grown on a fabulous site on the Wairau Bar, where Marlborough’s wide valley meets the sea, this wine is a …

Trinity Hill winemaker Warren Gibson’s chardonnays have become every bit as terrific as his reds. This new chard is a …

“Elegance,” noted an admiring John Saker. This is a beautifully balanced wine. It has a touch of flintiness, a dab …

“Elegance,” noted an admiring John Saker. This is a beautifully balanced wine. It has a touch of flintiness, a dab …

This is an excellent choice for those who like their chardonnays to be restrained in both personality and price. The …