10 Chardonnay’s to Pop This Chardonnay Day
It’s one of my favourite days of the year – International Chardonnay Day! If you’re not aware, this fabulous wine holiday is celebrated on the Thursday before Memorial Day (U.S.) each year thanks to the creator Rick Bakas. Which makes it Thursday 23 May 2024 this year.
My Chardonnay: The Ultimate Guide From Its #1 Fan blog post is my love letter to my favourite grape variety. It’s safe to say that I am an absolutely fiend for this wine grape variety.
To help celebrate International Chardonnay Day in 2024, I have listed 10 Chardonnay’s across different price points that I have loved and would most definitely drink again.
As we all have different tastes, I would love to know what your favourites are right now are, so drop them in the comments at the bottom of this post.
Please note some of these wines were sent to me as samples and some links in this post are affiliate links. I was under no obligation to post about any of these wines. All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!
Without further adieu, here’s 10 Chardonnay’s to pop this Chardonnay Day..
Louis Pommery England Brut – $89
We popped this British Louis Pommery England Brut beauty to help celebrate a friends birthday from afar and boy was it a delight to drink.
We were kindly sent this sample bottle from Pommery to help celebrate their first British sparkling wine! They’re the first Champagne house to produce an English fizz and wow, I was impressed!
In fact I’d drink it over a few of the big brand NV Champagnes. That’s how well it went down! At approximately $89 a pop I definitely would expect that.
The grapes are grown in Hampshire, Southern England and it’s made from the classic champagne grapes with the majority being Chardonnay. It’s Pommery in style from English terroir.
In the glass it’s a brilliant morning sunshine hue. The nose is super fresh with yellow orchard fruits and citrus however it also made me think of vanilla honey on crumpets. The palate is smooth and perfectly rounded. My oh my it’s divine.
Moss Wood Wilyabrup Margaret River Chardonnay 2020 – $80
I had been holding onto this sample of the Moss Wood 2020 Chardonnay for awhile as it arrived when I was pregnant and I knew I couldn’t just taste and spit it. After opening it, I’m glad I made that decision as it’s a truly beautiful Chardonnay to drink.
It’s a brilliant pastel yellow hue in the glass. On the nose it’s everything a girl like me wants, it’s creamy, buttery, yet fresh and vibrant. Think vanilla, peach and lemon. In the mouth it’s full of juicy delicious flavour with a generous long finish. More please!
Read the technical notes for the 2020 Moss Wood Chardonnay here.
Soumah Hexham Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 – $40
With #ChardonnayDay fast approaching we thought we’d get some practice in with this sample bottle of 2021 Soumah Single Vineyard Hexham Chardonnay.
Soumah hail from Victoria’s Yarra Valley. The grapes were handpicked, whole bunch pressed and barrel fermented with 100% wild yeast. The wine was matured on lees for eight months with partial malolactic fermentation.
Mr Spittoon and I both loved this one! We sipped it out of our Riedel Chardonnay Performance glasses (stunning glasses!) which added to the already wonderful experience the wine was taking us on.
In the glass it’s a creamy yellow colour. Toasty oak, orchard fruits, fresh melon and brioche buns came to mind on first whiff. Absolutely mouthwatering ?. The palate is full and juicy with candied citrus, nectarines and peaches and some crunchy red apples. A super memorable finish. Yum!
6Ft6 2020 Yarra Valley/Geelong Chardonnay – $20
We bought a few bottles of this 6Ft6 2020 ‘I’m kind of a big deal’ Yarra Valley – Geelong Chardonnay last year and simply love it!
Mr Spittoon was in the mood for Chardy (let’s be honest, when is he not) so we cracked one.
It’s a polished brass colour in the glass. Notes of creamy butter, lemon curd, subtle spice and melon rise from the glass. And for the palate – light grapefruit, melon, dainty acidic finish, bold smooth delicious.
Many bottles of this have been consumed in our house over the last year! Which is why we decided to join their Wonder Vine wine club earlier this year (how can you resist 25% off all year-round!).
Thomson & Scott ‘Noughty’ Alcohol Free Organic Sparkling Chardonnay – $25
Out of all the non alcoholic sparkling wine I have tried, this Thomson & Scott “Noughty” is probably at the top for me in terms of tasting close to the real deal. It really does smell like a good quality sparkling wine and has lovely dry delicate flavours of apples and citrus. I’d definitely drink again if I wanted an alcohol free night.
Tread Softly Blanc de Blancs Brut Chardonnay – $14
From Fourth Wave Wines. Tread Softly recently celebrated a milestone of having planted their 500,000th tree!!
To help celebrate they launched a 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs bubbles – and I was lucky enough to receive a sample.
On the eye: Gold shade
On the nose: Apple, shortbread, orange zest
On the palate: Crisp pink lady apple, fruity, dry across the mouth, delicate lime finish, the mousse is delish this is a bubbly you could drink all day
Domaine Fourrey Mont de Milieu Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2018
A big thank you to Popsy & JJ for sending us this beauty of a sample to try!
If you want a wine to match with blue cheese, this is it!! We accidentally stumbled across the combo and oh my we were fighting over the last bit of blue cheese. What a combo!
It’s been awhile since I have had a Chablis, so I was excited to get stuck in. Chablis is a region in France, the northern most part of the Burgundy region and under law they can only use Chardonnay grapes. The wines don’t see any oak and are known for their minerality. Check out the Vins de Bourgogne Chablis website to learn more: chablis-wines.com
This Premier Cru Chablis is a pretty lemon colour in the glass with that famous minerality shining alongside lovely notes of fresh ocean air, a hint of just baked shortbread and some Vietnamese mint. In the mouth that beachy taste flows through with hints of grapefruit, apricots, and stonefruit. it’s smooth, clean and crisp. Highly enjoyable and a wonderful example of Chablis.
I also really like how there is a QR code on the back label so you can easily jump straight to more info about the wine on the Popsy & JJ website.
Trofeo Estate – Aged in Terracotta Chardonnay 2019 – $34
Yes you read that right! This Chardonnay has been aged in terracotta clay aka Amphora-Aged Wine. This wine-making technique has been around for thousands of years (in fact I read something in Wine Enthusiast Magazine that said about 6,000 years ago there’s evidence of this technique being used in Georgia).
Terracotta is seen as a middle ground between oak and stainless steel. It’s porous like oak, yet it doesn’t impart as much flavour on a wine like oak can do. Yet it allows the wine to develop more than stainless steel which allows absolutely no oxygen into the maturing wine.
Trofeo Estate kindly sent me this sample (thank you very much!) of their 2019 Amphora Chardonnay to try recently. Trofeo are a small, family owned estate in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. They’re located in Dromana which is about an hour south of Melbourne.
Trofeo are considered the largest producer of terracotta amphora wine in the southern hemisphere. So if you’re keen to try some wine aged in terracotta clay then you must check these guys out!
Wine Specs:
Vintage: 2019
Grape Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
Alcohol: 13.2%
Price: $34 via trofeoestate.com.au
Other: Aged in terracotta
What it tastes like to me:
It’s a pretty pale yellow with a slight hint of copper to it in the glass. On the nose it’s full of juicy stonefruit, struck match, pawpaw and it has a lick of grapefruit to it. Quite a complex nose which I kept going back for more with. In the mouth it’s deliciously smooth with a juicy citrus tinge to the finish. Fruit driven and interesting. I’d drink it again!
Patina Chardonnay – Orange, NSW
If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know I absolutely adore my Chardonnay.
I was kindly sent these sample bottles from the lovely folk at Patina and Define Wine Marketing & Communications – thank you very much.
Patina are based in New South Wales in the Orange wine region which is known for its high elevation (600-1100 metres) and cool climate – perfect for growing Chardonnay. The 22 year old vineyard sits at the foothills of Mount Canobolas.
I was never much of a science geek at school, however I found the below very interesting:
“Another benefit of high elevation vineyards is the high difference in day-night temperature. During the day the grape accrues carbohydrates via photosynthesis in the leaves, then at night during respiration the vine borrows back from the berry some of these stores.
The lower the nighttime temperature the less the vine needs to borrow during respiration resulting in more intensity in the grapes.”
We were lucky enough to taste both the 2019 Patina Chardonnay ($40 per bottle) and the 2018 Patina Reserve Chardonnay ($60 per bottle). Both can be bought. online via patinawines.com.au.
2019 Patina Chardonnay
It’s a pretty sunshine yellow shade with plenty of freshness exuberayting from the glass. Think just chopped apples and pear with some citrus and some green veggies like snow peas and asparagus. There’s also a touch of aromatic oak and some orange sherbet. Quite a complex nose that keeps you going back for ‘just another sniff’. In the mouth it’s super smooth with a buttery texture on the tongue and a little pinch of acidity at the back of the palate. Yummy mandarin citrus notes.
2018 Patina Reserve Chardonnay
Quite similar in colour to the above, but with a little bit more richness to it. Creamy vanilla oak, white peach, buttered popcorn and navel orange citrus aromas rise from the glass. It’s super creamy on the palate with so much delectable flavour. It’s definitely a tasty number! It has quite a thickness to it on the palate, which I just love. Tons of flavour yet not over the top heavy. Plus it has an extraordinary long finish. Beautiful!
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Chardonnay 2018 – $23
Chardonnay aged in bourbon barrels… say what??
We came across this Robert Mondavi Winery 2018 Chardonnay from America recently, and I couldn’t help but buy a bottle to give it a whirl. It was $23.
The grapes come from Californian vineyards and the bourbon whiskey barrels come from a renowned Kentucky distillery.
We decided to sip on it as we watched Uncorked on Netflix. Have you seen it?
It’s an American drama film which was released last year and it follows a guy who wants to become a Master Sommelier. If you like your hip hop and RnB then you’ll enjoy the soundtrack ?
Anyway it was the perfect match for this Chardy, which both Mr Spittoon and I thoroughly enjoyed and will buy again!
It is a cork closed bottle so you will have to get the corkscrew out for this one.
In the glass it’s a lovely golden shade. Creamy oak, vanilla butter and melon notes rise from the glass and I actually think it has some whiffs of bourbon too In the mouth it’s smooth, creamy and incredibly moreish. A bold Chardonnay yet it has some lovely crisp acidity to it too.
Click here to see more of my Chardonnay tasting notes or check out my Delectable / Vivino profiles.
Chardonnay B is a French white grape variety. Originally from the Burgundy vineyard, it has become an international grape variety that has conquered many countries …
I couldn’t agree more Stewart – Voyager do fantastic Chardonnays. It’s been too long since my last one, so I must hunt a bottle out. I haven’t tried the Amato one, so I’ll have to add that to my wish list. Thank you for the heads up there 🙂 Mmm yes pork and Chardonnay!! Thanks for stopping by for a read Stewart, enjoy Chardonnay Day on Thursday 🙂
Hi Casey,
Great selection. I would also recommend any Chardonnay from Voyager Estate, or if you are looking for something a wee bit more “natural” then Amato Wines would be my recommendation. In terms of wine and food pairing then Chardonnay goes perfectly with pork IMO! And please fell free to edit my post if you are not comfortable with my naming the individual wine producers…as you know I hope I’m a wine lover with no commercial angle!