Why now is the time to embrace New Zealand Chardonnay

Think of New Zealand white wine and Sauvignon Blanc most likely comes to mind.

But now might be the perfect time to reconsider, for New Zealand Chardonnay has never been better, steadily gaining recognition for its balance of fruit purity, bright acidity and silky complexity.

Chardonnay accounts for just 9% of vineyard area and less than 2% of exports – compared to Sauvignon Blanc’s dominating 80% and 85% – according to the New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report 2024.

But with near-perfect growing conditions and increasingly refined winemaking, Chardonnay remains one of the country’s best-kept secrets, offering quality – and value – that are worth seeking out.

Scroll down for notes and scores of 12 of New Zealand’s best Chardonnay

New Zealand’s first Chardonnays likely emerged in the 1950s, though records are unclear. The variety gained traction in the 1980s with the bold, buttery, heavily oaked styles that were popular at the time.

By the 1990s, it was the country’s most-planted white variety and winemakers were increasingly getting to grips with more sophisticated production techniques.

However, the global Anything But Chardonnay movement and meteoric rise of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc soon saw it eclipsed.

Today, Chardonnay is the country’s second most-planted white variety, slightly ahead of Pinot Gris, though plantings have remained static over the past decade.

A cool customer

Nonetheless, Chardonnay continues to be beloved by producers. It is the focus of the Aotearoa Chardonnay Symposium, an annual Hawke’s Bay event featuring local and international experts.

The 2024 keynote speakers included Burgundy authority Jasper Morris MW, and writer and California specialist Elaine Chukan Brown.

She praised New Zealand Chardonnay as: ‘One of its most exciting varieties, offering an electric acidity akin to a high wattage lightbulb wearing a diffusing lens: elevated and stimulating with the edges softened to pleasurable brightness.’

New Zealand’s ideal growing conditions contribute to these characteristics. Kumeu River winemaker Michael Brajkovich MW, whose own wines have famously bested top Burgundies in international blind tastings, argues that New Zealand’s cool climate and long growing season is especially well-suited for high quality Chardonnay production.

‘There is nowhere in New Zealand that has a truly hot, or even warm, climate,’ he explains. ‘We are all dealing in cool climate viticulture with a variety that is inherently well suited to it, and better suited than just about any other for making quality dry white wine.’

Steve Smith MW, co-owner of Pyramid Valley and Smith & Sheth, concurs, ‘We can get the grapes properly ripe at 12.5-13.5% alcohol. They don’t get overripe because it’s not hot – and at full ripeness we also have an energy and natural acidity, which most other parts of the New World and many parts of Europe cannot achieve anymore because it is getting warmer.’

A great New Zealand Chardonnay, he notes, will be quite complex rather than overtly fruity, with delicious ripeness and a sense of energy and freshness.

Evolution of style

The complexity is further enhanced by evolving winemaking techniques. In recent years, winemakers have dialed back smaller, newer oak in favour of older, larger formats or concrete and clay vessels.

This helps to highlight fruit purity and minerality, giving more linear, precise wines. Wild fermentation, extended lees maturation, and intentional reduction have become common, resulting in more textured, complex wines with a stronger sense of place.

Brajkovich observes: ‘Whereas in the past many NZ Chardonnays were very similar, based on the model of Côte de Beaune, we are now seeing more diversity of style, with less oak, more zest and greater drinkability when young.’

Single vineyard expressions are increasingly common, aided by the benefit of detailed understanding of clonal selection. ‘We now possess a collection of different selections of Chardonnay that complement each other,’ says Smith. ‘You can do a lot of the crafting of the wine this way, for example balancing fruit expression or acidity.’

Demand and diversity

Although total plantings have remained static, consumer interest in New Zealand Chardonnay is quietly growing. Some producers, such as Cloudy Bay and Isabel Estate in Marlborough, are struggling to meet demand and are expanding Chardonnay plantings.

Despite its limited production, the variety offers genuine depth and quality. It was difficult to narrow down the accompanying wine selection for this article (see below).

New Zealand Chardonnay might currently be overshadowed in a crowded global marketplace, but it delivers outstanding quality at a fraction of the price of many Burgundies, Californian Chardonnays, or even Australian counterparts, making it an exciting prospect for savvy Chardonnay lovers.

Around the regions: Where to find the best NZ Chardonnay

Chardonnay is grown across New Zealand with all regions producing genuinely exciting wines. From The Landing’s sleek examples revitalising Northland wine to Central Otago’s minerally, precise styles, each area has distinctive characteristics.

Here are the key regions…

Hawke’s Bay

The country’s second-largest wine region is a hotspot for premium Chardonnay, with over 1,000ha planted. There’s a temperate maritime climate and kaleidoscopic soils courtesy of four river systems.

Varied subregions – ranging from cooler coastal to warmer inland sites such as the Gimblett Gravels – produce rich, structured wines with yellow stonefruit, citrus and creamy nut notes.

Wairarapa

Just 62ha planted, but excellent quality with high-profile producers. Long dry summers and cool nights enhance elegance, while the deep free-draining soils contribute texture and minerality.

Expect ripe lemon, white peach, tangy acid and savoury depth.

Marlborough

Best known for Sauvignon Blanc, though Chardonnay is increasingly being grown in the clay-rich soils of the Southern Valleys subregion.

Grapefruit, stonefruit and red apple with crisp acidity are typical; palate structure is more linear than Hawke’s Bay. Chardonnay plays a key role in the region’s distinctive sparkling wines. 1,083ha planted.

Nelson

High sunshine, protective hills and a cooling maritime influence yield intense fruit expression – think stone fruit, melon, orchard fruit and citrus – with crisp structure.

The clay soils of the Moutere Hills add depth and silky texture, whilst alluvial Waimea Plains wines are fine and fragrant. 109ha planted.

North Canterbury

The long, dry growing season, cool nights and often limestone-rich soils produce complex, structured Chardonnays with vibrant acidity. Fine citrus, white peach and flinty minerality are typical.

Just 99ha are planted here, but top producers have put the region on the Chardonnay map for seriously ageworthy wines.

Central Otago & Waitaki

World-renowned for Pinot Noir, but Chardonnay plantings (92ha) are steadily increasing for still and sparkling wines. The dry, semi-continental climate gives excellent tension, fresh acidity and concentrated flavour.

Expect bright citrus, white peach and nectarine, green apple, white flowers and saline, oyster shell minerality. The tiny North Otago region of Waitaki Valley (just 6ha) is gaining attention for limestone-driven fragrant, zesty wines.

Gisbourne

At 582ha, Chardonnay is the region’s dominant variety, and its high sunshine, mild climate and rich, alluvial soils deliver aromatic, lushly fruited wines with good body and texture.

Many wines are made for early-drinking pleasure but the best mature well with good complexity.

Top New Zealand Chardonnay: 12 to try

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