Kick-ass Chardonnays for Under £18
Nowadays we have to accept that if we want to enjoy good cool-climate Chardonnay, we’re going to have to spend upwards of £10/bottle. The sweet-spot for me is somewhere between £12-18.
Both independent merchants and some supermarkets will have a decent selection from around the world but remember, you generally get what you pay for.
I’ve deliberately included regions that fall outside of the above price criteria (just) as it’s good to be aware of them anyway, particularly if you want to step away from the well-trodden path. This list is by no means exhaustive and I’ve also included some examples of wines that I’ve personally drunk or tasted here in the UK that I can wholeheartedly recommend and either meets or beats the above pricing criteria.
FRANCE – Bourgogne (Burgundy)
White Burgundy is becoming less and less affordable, however there is still value to be found. Apart from a handful of straight Bourgogne Blancs, forget the Côte d’Or and head further south to the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais where you can find excellent drinking wines from appellations like Mercurey, Rully, Montagny, Pouilly-Fuissé (not to be confused with Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire) and of course Mâcon itself.
A decent Mercurey, Rully or Pouilly-Fuissé is still likely to set you back well over £18/bottle but there are plenty of options in Mâcon, where you’ll often see it hyphenated with a named village (such as Davayé, Charnay, Fuissé or Lugny) or simply the term ‘Villages’. Viré-Clessé is a standalone appellation for two villages that, prior to 1999, were formerly appended to Mâcon in the same way. These can also be very good value.
Mâcon-Lugny “Les Genièvres”, Louis Latour
Mâcon-Solutré, Maison Auvigue
Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes, Christophe Cordier
FRANCE – Languedoc
Head way down south into the warmer Languedoc region around Carcassonne and there’s some excellent Chardonnays coming from the elevated parts of this area, especially from the Limoux sub-region in the foothills of the Pyrenees where you’ll find both still and traditional-method sparkling wines, the latter labelled as Crémant. The still wines are some of the best value entry-level Burgundy lookalikes I’ve come across.
Montsablé Chardonnay, IGP Pays d’Oc
Château Rives-Blanques “Odyssée” Chardonnay, Limoux
Crémant de Limoux “Cuvée Royale” Brut, Divin’ Aude
England
Here in England we’re now producing world class Chardonnay in both still and sparkling formats. Especially along the same band of south-facing chalk and limestone slopes that run all the way from Champagne and Chablis in northern Burgundy, under the North Sea and re-appear in Essex and Kent. It then runs all the way across to Dorset, in an almost continuous ridge, along the South Downs. The best of these sadly fall outside of the price range for this piece, so I’ll be reviewing these separately.
Italy
Northern Italy is definitely worth a mention, especially in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, as well as the east coast region of Umbria, which is next door to Tuscany. As above, these generally fall outside of our price range, especially the ones that I’ve tasted and would recommend.
USA (California)
Believe it or not, California has the ability to produce cool-climate Chardonnays but they tend to be found closer to the coast or along one of the narrow river valleys where the Pacific sea breezes have a cooling effect and create a blanket of morning fog, which in turn slows down ripening.
Sonoma is perhaps the most famous region with the Russian River valley sub-zone being of particular note. With one or two notable exceptions, these are going to set you back an arm and a leg so you need to either head across to neighbouring Carneros or further down the coastline to parts of Monterey, Mendocino and Santa Barbara to find more affordable examples.
District 7 Monterey Chardonnay
Wente Vineyards “Morning Fog” Chardonnay, Livermore Valley
Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
Saintsbury Carneros Chardonnay
USA – Oregon
The Willamette Valley has deservedly earned its reputation for producing some world-class Chardonnays as well as Pinot Noirs with more than a nod to Burgundy. Not least because there’s geological and climatic similarities between the two regions. Sadly, they’re quite a bit over our budget too but good for an occasional splurge.
USA – Washington State
Next door to Oregon, this is the other ‘West Coast’ sensation in terms of cool-climate winemaking. The Columbia Valley is where the action’s at and we’re beginning to see one or two examples reaching our shores. While many are reaching lofty prices like Oregon, there is one worth seeking out.
Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay, Columbia Valley
AUSTRALIA – South Australia
In Australia, there are plenty of notable cool-climate sub-regions to explore starting with the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, especially within the Piccadilly and Clare Valley sub-zones. Anything from High Eden at the north end of the Barossa Valley is also well worth a punt.
Simon Hackett “Brightview” Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Thistledown “Great Escape” Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Mountadam Vineyards Chardonnay, High Eden
AUSTRALIA – Victoria
Victoria has a handful of trendy hotspots for Burgundian-looking ‘Chardy’s’ but these are well over the £15 mark sadly.
Mornington Peninsula, Strathbogie Ranges, the Macedon Ranges, Geelong and the Yarra Valley are all worth looking out for if you’re feeling flush and want something classy!
AUSTRALIA – Western Australia, NSW & Tasmania
Western Australia, due to its remoteness and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, arguably has the largest surface area dedicated to cool-climate winemaking on the continent. Margaret River turns out arguably the most iconic Aussie Chardonnays and as a result are perhaps the most accessible here in the UK although be prepared to splash the cash.
Elsewhere on the continent, it’s also worth considering Orange in NSW, which sits at very high altitude, and of course Tasmania, the coolest zone of the lot which makes some stunning examples of still and sparkling Chardonnays, but sadly few of these reach our shores and the ones that do tend to be out of our budget.
Philip Shaw “The Architect” Chardonnay, Orange, NSW
Vasse-Felix “Filius” Chardonnay, Margaret River
SOUTH AFRICA
Elgin, Hemel-en-Aarde and Elim are considered the coolest sub-regions of the Cape although there are also some fantastic, more restrained styles of Chardonnay coming out of Constantia and the more elevated sites in Franschhoek and Stellenbosch too. There’s definitely great value to be found here but there’s no shortage of more premium stuff if you’re feeling flush!
Chamonix Unoaked Chardonnay, Franschhoek
Newton Johnson Southend Chardonnay, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Iona Chardonnay, Elgin*
* This falls just over budget but it’s absolutely worth it in terms of vfm!
ARGENTINA
Look for Chardonnay coming from the high-altitude region of Salta in northern Argentina as well as elevated sites within Mendoza, particularly in the Uco Valley.
Manos Negras Chardonnay, Los Arboles, Uco Valley
Viña Cobos Felino Chardonnay, Mendoza
CHILE
Chile’s Casablanca, San Antonio, Leyda and Limarí valleys turn out some of the best value cool-climate Chardonnays money can buy. They’re all exposed to the cooling ocean breezes as a result of the Humboldt current, creating a similar effect to that of Sonoma that I described earlier.
There’s also been a move to plant vines at much higher altitude inland, up to 2,000 metres asl, in order to gain the cooling effect.
Casas del Bosque, Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Indomita, Nostros Gran Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Matetic Vineyards EQ Quartz Chardonnay, San Antonio Valley
NEW ZEALAND
Last but by no means least, New Zealand. I’d pretty much leave it at that as the entire country makes fantastic Chardonnay. Again, these tend to be a bit more premium-priced, especially if you want the more prestigious single site wines, but for me the South Island is where the most exciting Chardonnays can be sourced, in Nelson, Marlborough and around Canterbury. That said, definitely don’t rule out the North Island’s Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough too.
Palliser Estate Chardonnay, Martinborough
Trinity Hill Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay
Two Rivers “Clos des Pierres” Chardonnay, Marlborough
Neudorf Tiritiri Chardonnay, Nelson