Nautilus Chardonnay is one of Marlborough’s most age worthy white wines and a delicious drink right now, especially the 2019 which comes from a great vintage in this country’s largest wine region. The Nautilus winery was founded in 1985 by the Hill-Smith family in South Australia and continues in the same ownership. Long term winemaker Clive Jones has been key in the transformation in quality and perception in Marlborough Chardonnay over the past two decades, thanks to this dry, full bodied, smooth and creamy wine, which ages beautifully (for those with willpower) for up to a decade.

Typically fresh aromatics of quality Hawkes Bay Chardonnay are evident including citrus, white flowers and stone fruit. These are complemented on the palate by a creamy richness from aging on lees. Roast hazelnut, almond and hints of gunflint result from the indigenous fermentation in barrel.

Un-oaked Chardonnay made with grapes sourced from throughout the Central Otago region and exhibiting the region's natural elegant fruit flavours and mineral complexity. The wine is fermented in tank to retain its bright fruit and is left to rest on its yeast lees to gain some doughy complexity and softness. This is a refreshing full-bodied wine, unencumbered by oak and superb with food.

Winemaker Kevin Judd makes one of Marlborough's best Chardonnays every year and this one is full bodied with intense ripe flavours of grapefruit, burnt orange and white nectarine, which mingle with savoury aromas of smoked almonds, hazelnut meringue and the heady fragrance of freshly cut hay. The mealy savouriness carries through onto a rich, textural palate, evidence of this wine?s low-intervention winemaking. An intricate bone-dry style that is highly concentrated with a distinct flintiness, tight structure and crisp citrussy finish.

Top drinking full bodied, dry, crisp and peachy Marlborough Chardonnay made from grapes grown on a blend of vineyards on the Wairau Valley and the Southern Valleys in Marlborough. Flavours of white peach, nectarines and ripe grapefruit intermingle in this complex white from New Zealand's biggest wine region.

The grapes were fermented in a combination of new and old oak barriques and given 10 months ageing in oak prior to bottling. 

Located in the Sonoma wine region of California, the name Chalk Hill comes from the unique volcanic soil of chalky white ash, which is a near perfect match for the planting of white wine varieties, like Chardonnay. The vineyards quest for quality has always been the basis for all their winemaking decisions.

This wine is balanced and bright with concentrated flavours of creamy lemon custard, poached pear, almond, and spice. Pair this Chardonnay with grilled salmon in a garlic butter sauce.

100% malolacitc fermentation - nine months on the lees in Hungarian oak 10% of which is new and 20% is one year old.

A refreshing dry white made from Chardonnay grown in the Maconnais region of southern Burgundy. The grapes come from the historic "Les Charmes" vineyard, known for producing wines of great elegance and finesse. Ripe stone fruit flavours are balanced by an elegant mineral finish. This is perfect as an aperitif and works well with lighter foods. 

Full barrel fermentation with natural yeasts provides depth and layers of savoury, creamy, ripe peach flavour to this gorgeously richly textured dry white.  impressively complex aromas of rockmelon, lemon peel, nougat and cedar invite Chardonnay lovers into each sip of this Central Otago Chardonnay, which has excellent concentration, expansive mouthfeel and lingering flavours. 

Gorgeous dry sparkling rose made the same way as champagne by French born, Marlborough based wine pioneer, Daniel le Brun, who marked 40 years of winemaking in New Zealand in 2000. 

Le Brun pioneered methode traditionelle sparkling wines in New Zealand in the early 1980s, releasing his first bubbly in 1985 and marketing it as made the same way as champagne, only at a fraction of the cost. 

This toasty rich, full bodied pink number is made 100% from Pinot Noir grapes which were fermented to 12.5% ABV with 7.5 grams of residual sugar per litre ? almost bone dry and it tastes like it too, with that smidgeon of grapeyness adding beautiful balance. It was aged for 18 months on lees prior to disgorgement. Ongoing disgorgement means fresh wines remain on the market. 

It's no secret that great Chardonnay is made in beautiful rolling Moutere Hills in Nelson, which is home to the clay based vineyard where this wine comes from. Hand picked grapes were pressed into French oak cuves, where they went through spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts followed by malolactic fermentation and minimal filtration at bottling. This wine is fresh, dry, full bodied and creamy, balanced by nutty and citrus flavours.

One of our absolute faves here at Regional Wines. Central Otago based, Austrian born and bred winemaker Rudi Bauer is the mastermind behind the stunning wines at Quartz Reef winery, which he founded and then furthered his own career by studying biodynamics and organics. All of his Quartz Reef wines are certified by both BioGro and Demeter for biodynamic production.

The grapes for this Blanc de Blanc were hand picked and had their second fermentation in bottle followed by 60 months aging on lees. It was riddled and disgorged by hand and has refreshing citrus notes and irresistible bakery aromas which highlight the great suitability of world's southernmost wine region for sparkling wine production.

This is a great example of world class méthode traditionnelle.

A blend of old & new world wine-making using exceptional fruit from Clearview’s oldest Mendoza Chardonnay vines. This is their ultra-premium Chardonnay. Endeavour is a lush, rich and opulent wine with great complexity and length.

Crushed shell, specifically reminiscent of green mussels. While some might say oyster shell, it’s not quite that. Saline, yes. Sundried lime zest dances in the background. A reduction of coal dust, saffron, and Belgian spice promotes the essence of Craighall’s stones, tightening the parameters and focusing the power for length rather than width. Precise. Crème brûlée, lemon honey, and yellow peach ripple across the palate, while pure acidity flows like a swift stream, elongating the palate and experience. White florals, particularly alyssum, make a delightful appearance. A hint of macadamia graces the finish, complemented by a refreshing green crunch and phenolic notes like the delicate skin of a cucumber. A richness that is utterly moreish.

96pts – The Real Review
95pts – Wine Advocate

A great wine made in tiny quantities from the cool North Otago Waitaki Valley where hot days, cool nights and a long growing season produce high quality grapes in small volumes. The Valli winemaking team of Grant Taylor, Jenn Parr and Karl Coombes hand harvest all their grapes, whole bunch pressing them to barrel, including 22% new oak. Full solids with lees stirring during maturation for 12 months gives this wine body to burn and a lingering flavoursome finish comes from the high acidity from this edgy cool climate, nicely balanced by all that lees aging. A beautiful complex Chardonnay to drink now or to cellar. 

Winemaker Karl Johner has a foot in at least three wine camps; the lime-clay hillside slopes of Lime Hill Vineyard is the smallest of them and is situated on the road to Castlepoint in the northern Wairarapa.

An outstanding New Zealand Chardonnay made from that site; its production is tiny but its fleshy, full body and creamy style more than make up for that. 

He also makes wine every year at Gladstone in the Wairarapa and, since the seasons are reversed in each hemisphere, in Germany.