6 New Zealand Chardonnays To Taste This Season

New Zealand Chardonnay has to be tried, says Julie Dupouy

By March, the natural world around us has fully awoken from its winter slumber. In the northern hemisphere, early March marks the start of a new cycle in the vineyard with the vines pulse gently flickering back to life. This new flow of energy will soon be followed by budbreak, and the year’s cycle is safely under way. Each autumn, if Mother Nature has been kind, we get to enjoy the fruits of her wonder.

For countries in the southern hemisphere, March sits at the end of the vine’s cycle and harvests are currently in full swing. Diversity across the wine regions of the southern hemisphere is vast and many exciting things are happening. Yet, I do have a special soft spot for New Zealand. I was fortunate to spend three weeks there in 2017, touring all the main regions. I came back smitten and filled with enthusiasm for all things kiwi. It is an incredibly special country. Anybody who has visited New Zealand will understand what I mean when I say that the colours there seem brighter, the personalities bigger and the energy for life greater. The “dialled-up” quality I had perceived in their wines is really just another expression of life in this truly beautiful place.

New Zealand is the newest comer to wine production in the New World. The first vines were planted in KeriKeri, in Northland, in 1819, by missionary Samuel Marsden. However, it took New Zealand over 150 years for its wine industry to find stability and gain international recognition. It is quite incredible to think that Marlborough, one of the bestknown wine regions in the world, had its first modern commercial vineyard planted as recently as 1973. Marlborough represents 70 per cent of New Zealand’s total plantings with approximately 29,000 hectares, which yields over 75 per cent of all the wine New Zealand produces.

Over the last 40 years, New Zealand has established itself among the global leaders in greener, highly ethical viticulture. As of 2022, over 96 per cent of the total vineyard area in the country was certified sustainable and ten per cent of New Zealand wineries were certified fully organic. The golden goose in New Zealand is of course Sauvignon Blanc. The best classic Sauvignons have seduced the world with their exuberant fruitiness that expresses themselves through notes of passionfruit, gooseberry and lime, complemented by their bright, crisp, and saline characters.

In the last 40 years, New Zealand has established itself among the global leaders in greener, highly ethical viticulture.

Pinot Noir plays the lead supporting role, with in my opinion, the most exciting examples being produced in Central Otago, the southernmost commercial vineyard in the world which sits on the 45th parallel south. The Pinots there have proven multifaceted, from light and fragrant to powerful, smooth and mineral.

Chardonnay makes up the kiwi triumvirate with 3,200 hectares, far behind Sauvignon Blanc and still well behind Pinot Noir. Despite its place among the Big Three, I feel that NZ Chardonnay is still waiting for its moment in the sun. For years, Chardonnay has been a great divider of taste and opinion and in recent times, due to consumer demand for more judicious oak use, it has been enjoying an inevitable comeback. Whether you are enjoying the early stages of your wine discovery journey or are an afficionado looking to re-bond with the grape, New Zealand Chardonnay is worth a second and third look. It literally leaves no boxes unticked – bright, healthy fruit, vibrant acidity, beautiful and classy aromatic profiles, salinity, structure, texture and great minerality. Most are supported by well-judged oak use but typically have enough fruit substance to absorb the oak seasoning gracefully and fortunately stay the right side of the clichéd creamy and buttery wines of the 1990s, which were often overwhelmed with vanilla and toffee aromas from the wood.

The most memorable Chardonnay wines I tasted come from the North Canterbury region which is located in the heart of the South Island, just outside Christchurch. North Canterbury is renowned for its limestone soils which are unique to the region and produce wines with great purity. Hawkes Bay, more specifically the Gimblett Gravels area, is famous for its red wines but also produces stellar Chardonnay.

The first vines were planted in the 1980s, on the old bed of the Ngaruroro River which changed course in 1867. I love the dark, pebbly minerality common to the wines produced there and I particularly enjoy the savoury layer it contributes to the Chardonnay. Auckland, Waiheke Island, Nelson and Central Otago also produce excellent Chardonnay and have attracted interest and investment from some very talented and acclaimed wine producers. I have put together a selection of some of the best Chardonnay I have tasted from New Zealand available in the Irish market. Enjoy them in larger glasses to allow them open and really shine, either on their own or as a luxurious and versatile option on the dinner table. @julie_dupouy

NEW ZEALAND CHARDONNAY