Top Chardonnays over £20

Following The Drinks Business Global Chardonnay Masters 2015, we round-up the competition’s best premium wines that were awarded a Gold medal or the highest accolade of a Master.

The Drinks Business Global Masters series sees wines judged purely by grape variety rather than by region. Divided only by price bracket and, for ease of judging, whether the style was oaked or unoaked, the blind tasting format allows wines to be assessed without prejudice about their country of origin.

Wines were scored out of 100, with those gaining over 95 points being awarded the top title of Master. Those earning over 90 points were given a Gold, those over 85 points a Silver and those over 80 points a Bronze.

The wines were judged by a cherry-picked group of Masters of Wine on 2 December 2015 at Aveqia on 2 St Bride Street, London.

The following list include wines priced over £20 that earned either a Gold medal or Master in the competition.

For a full round-up of results from the 2015 Chardonnay Masters click here. For our round-up of the best-performing Chardonnays priced under £20 click here.

Click through for our round-up of some of the best Chardonnays in the competition…

Champagne Gosset, Grand Blanc de Blancs NV

Medal: Gold

Style: Sparkling Chardonnay

Price category: Over £50

What the judges said: “Developed nose with lovely autolysis and notes of nectarine. Bright and lively. On the palate, full bodied with developed notes of honey and peach, nuts, brioche and cream. Elegant, long finish.”

Champagne Philipponnat, Champagne Philipponnat Grand Blanc

Medal: Gold

Style: Sparkling Chardonnay

Price category: Over £50

What the judges said: “Evolved nose demonstrating generous lees contact. Savoury palate with well-balanced dosage. Fresh and vibrant with a long, complex finish.”

Romain Bouchard, Chablis Premier Cru Vau de Vey 2012, Chablis, France

Medal: Gold

Style: Unoaked Chardonnay

Price category: £20 to £30

What the judges said: “Ripe, creamy nose dominated by lemon and lemon curd. Characterful and complex palate with notes of baked apples and lemon. Long finish. A very nice wine.”

Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – Karia Chardonnay 2013, Horse Heavan Hills, USA

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £20 to £30

What the judges said: “Delicate on the nose with notes of lemon and green apple. Full bodied but restrained on the palate with peach and apricots dominating. Delicate, elegant and long on the finish.”

Leo Aumann GmbH, Chardonnay Reserve 2012, Traiskirchen, Austria

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £20 to £30

What the judges said: “Prominent notes of cedar oak on the nose. Bright and linear on the palate with a flinty, mineral character. Lean and elegant. Very good.”

Larry Cherubino, Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay 2014, Margret River, Australia

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £20 to £30

What the judges said: “Complex nose with aromas of ripe fruit, lemon, hazelnuts and nectarine complemented by notes of pastry and oak. Full bodied yet restrained with peach and oak showing through. A balanced and well integrated wine.”

Jackson Family Wines, Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2014, Santa Maria Valley, USA

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £20 to £30

What the judges said: “Lovely, well-balanced nose with notes of citrus, white peach and oak. Similar notes on the palate with apple and white peach dominant. Nice weight on the mid palate. Long, bright and complex finish.” 

Cakebread Cellars, Chardonnay Reserva 2013, Carneros, Napa Valley, USA

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £30 to £50

What the judges said: “Light and bright on the nose with notes of citrus, apple and white peach. Fresh and full palate with good weight balanced by a bright mineral character. Soft notes of peach, nuts and touch of oak showing through. Long and complex finish.”

Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards, Uva Mira Chardonnay 2013, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £30 to £50

What the judges said: “Zesty lime and a touch of oak on the nose. Lively palate with some lemon, a touch of peach and a broad mid palate. Finishes tight with good grip. A great wine.”

Giesen Wines, Single Vineyards Selection: Clayvin The Fuder, Marlborough, New Zealand

Medal: Gold

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £30 to £50

What the judges said: “Intense on the nose with appealing notes of orange and honey. Very rich and full bodied with concentrated notes of apricot and hazelnuts on the palate. Well integrated oak and bright acidity. Very nice.”

Burch Family Wines, Marchand & Burch Chardonnay 2014, Porongurup, Australia

Medal: Master

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £30 to £50

What the judges said: “Bright on the nose with lively notes of citrus, stone fruit and a touch of oak. Elegant, vibrant palate with well-integrated oak and a flint character. Long, mineral finish. Very good.”

Burch Family Wines, Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2013, Margaret River, Australia

Medal: Master

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £30 to £50

What the judges said: “Delicate on the nose with bright aromas of lemon and apple. Lovely texture on the palate with vibrant notes of peach showing through. Great balance between fruit and acidity. Fantastic length, complexity and depth. A very stylish wine.”

Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards, The Single Tree Chardonnay 2014, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Medal: Master

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £30 to £50

What the judges said: “Intense on the nose with aromas of peach, pear, lemon and a hint of vanilla. Luscious palate, well-balanced and long finish. A very good wine.”

Tapanappa, Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2013, Adelaide Hills, Australia

Medal: Master

Style: Oaked Chardonnay

Price category: £20 to £30

What the judges said: “Bright notes of ripe fruit on the nose. Aromas of ripe peach and nectarine follow through on the palate. Good texture and soft palate with a touch of smoke. Bright acidity. Refined, long finish.”

Champagne Drappier, Champagne Blanc de Blancs Signature NV

Medal: Master

Style: Sparkling Chardonnay

Price category: £30-50

What the judges said: “Lovely minerality on the nose with hints of almond and pear. Nice freshness on the palate. Elegant with good autolytic characters dominated by notes of brioche, mingled with notes of citrus fruits and hints of peach. Long finish. Excellent wine.”