96 Points - bettane et desseauve. Laurent‑Perrier is selective when declaring vintages from only the very best years to create a rare and exceptional wine, characteristic of the House’s style. The 2012 wine year was complicated with winter and spring frosts, hail and cryptogamic diseases, which had an impact on the yield, which was rather moderate. The dry, sunny summer allowed the grapes to ripen to perfection allowing for an exceptional harvest. Sensory Characteristics EyeThe wine is white gol

The Planeta Chardonnay has become an illustration of the changes in Sicilian wine. It was created from a wish to compete in the world production of this noble and widespread variety. After a long process beginning in 1985, today Planeta’s Chardonnay is an icon for the whole of Sicily. A rich light gold colour, deep but transparent, the pleasing contrast of creaminess and crunchiness. A soft white wine supported by a refreshing note of acidity, with a slight mineral touch which harmoniously combi

90 Points - Gilbert et Gaillard. Champagne Bonvalet began with a wild dream: to create a Maison de Champagne from scratch. In 2012, Guillaume created his first cuvée, which took two more years of patience to distribute the first 2000 bottles of Champagne Bonvalet. Kosmos Blanc de Blancs is a 100% Chardonnay cuvee with 3 years maturation showing generous citrus and floral aromas with a lovely effervescence. Taste: "The nose of this Champagne is generous, with citrus and floral aromas. The palate

J Vineyards bright and appealing Russian River Valley Chardonnay showcases the best of this classic cool-climate region. Aromas of citrus and orange blossom open with every swirl. Smooth and beautifully balanced, notes of yellow apple, meyer lemon and pear layer with suggestions of toasted macadamia and creamy almond. Hints of light toast and spice lift the fruit characteristics. The palate is rich, full and beautifully textured before finishing with a crisp and delicate flourish. Wine Press Rat

Savvy white Burgundy buyers know Montagny Premier Cru is arguably the region’s best-value wine. What Domaine Masse does, is couple value with wines of outstanding quality. Produced from their small parcel of low-yielding old Chardonnay vines, their 2023 Montagny has a level of concentration that’s rarely found in this prodigious vintage. Elegant and well-structured, the sensitive use of oak has given a fine white Burgundy that many famous name producers would envy. It is offerings like this that

Château des Correaux’s Saint Veran is made from grapes drawn from the domaine’s own superb vineyards. Saint Veran's wines rarely fetch the high prices of its more fashionable neighbours making wines like this a rare Burgundy bargain. Château des Correaux’s approach to winemaking blends tradition with innovation. Most of the work is done in the vineyard following sustainable practices while intervention in the winery is kept to a minimum. Winemaker Germain Bernard wants his vines to speak for the

90 Points - Wine Enthusiast. In the southernmost part of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, the 392 hectares (969 acres) of Santenay’s vines take root on the first slopes of the Mont de Sene hill. The name of this appellation refers to Roman times when the village was renowned for its thermal baths and its natural spring, "Santinae aquae", meaning "healing water" in Latin. Notes  of white flowers (acacia) and opens on lemon and candied pineapple. The palate is rich and mineral with a nice salinity, whi

A medium bodied Chardonnay (with a dash of Sauvignon Blanc) with flavours of fresh nectarine, grapefruit and pear, with a soft, creamy palate complimented by textural oak. Fowles Wine vineyards are situated on a similar latitude to renowned wine regions like Gisborne in New Zealand, Sonoma and Napa Valleys in the USA, Mendoza in Argentina, Sicily in Italy, and Jerez in Spain and as the southernmost and coolest state on mainland Australia and has gained fame for its diverse wine regions and refre

Premier Cru quality Burgundy for village money, Domaine Monnier owns 1.4 hectares of the famous lieu-dit (named place) of Meursault’s Clos du Cromin. Located on the Volnay hill, its clay and stone soils provide ideal conditions for producing exceptional quality Chardonnay. Domaine Monnier’s Meursault Clos du Cromin 2022 was produced from low-yielding old vines which clearly benefited from the challenging, but outstanding conditions this vintage bought. Powerful yet subtle and refined and with wo

A wonderfully complex Blanc de Blancs champagne from the outstanding 2015 vintage. Michel Genet and his team are 'manufacteurs de Grands Crus' and their MG BB Vintage offers aromas of pastries with fragrances of fresh nuts and candied fruits, followed by tobacco, menthol anise and eucalyptus. This has a rich aromatic palette and powerful finish. About the Producer “Manufacteurs de Grands Crus”. Michel Genet like to call themselves “manufacteurs” (“artisans”) from the word’s Latin origins in manu

Montagny, an appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise region of Burgundy only make white wines and are a fuller style and offer great value for money. This Multi award winning wine from Domaine Feuillat-Juillot is from a small 1 hectare parcel of 28 year old vines, which are carefully hand picked to ensure selection of only the best quality fruit.  Beautifully balanced wine with a mineral, chalky nose with a touch of oyster shell and floral notes. Delicious on its own or paired with shellfish and fis

Recently awarded premier cru status "Les Crays” is a terroir of limestone scree on blue Pliensbachian marl. This south-facing slope, bright and protected from the cool north wind, produces fatty wines with chiseled minerality revealing rich and multiple citrus aromas. This cuvée is harvested on several plots planted between 1930 and 1966 forming 2.16 hectares in total. 4.2 Vivino (September 2024) Wine Press Ratings 93 Points - The Wine Front (2020) 91 Points - Decanter (2020) "In 2020, there was

Marpésia, the Queen of the Amazons is the symbol of strength and solidarity. This delicious and elegant Rose champagne is a daring wine in which Chardonnay and Pinot Noir achieve a wonderful balance with the addition of 15% AOC Coteaux-Champenois red wine into the blend. The result, a champagne with beautiful aromatic richness lifted by a fruit burst of raspberries and strawberries, delicious and elegant. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Mar 2024) Blend: 75% Chardonnay | 10% Pinot Noir | 15% Coteaux-Champeno

"Burgundy hits the bullseye with 2019" - James Suckling - Most famous for its Pinot Noir, only 10% of the wines from Savigny-Lès-Beaune are made using Chardonnay. This Savigny-Lès-Beaune from the outsanding 2019 Vintage is sourced from the south facing sunny climats of 'Les Planchots' and 'Les Pimentiers'. Hand harvested and fermented using natural yeasts, this is a full bodied wine but without being too heavy with exotic fruits and golden apple, a wine to savour in its youth. A fantastic Burgun

Most famous for its Pinot Noir, only 10% of the wines from Savigny-Lès-Beaune are made using Chardonnay. This Savigny-Lès-Beaune is sourced from the south facing sunny climats of 'Les Planchots' and 'Les Pimentiers'. Hand harvested and fermented using natural yeasts, this is a full bodied wine with exotic fruits and golden apple, a wine to savour in its youth.  About the Producer Domaine Decelle-Villa was started in 2008 when two distinguished winemakers from other regions of France decided to p

Domaine Gault Bourgogne Chardonnay 2022 was produced from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Côte Chalonnaise. An excellent introduction to Sébastien Gault’s wines, it shows the generosity and style that southern Burgundy winemakers can achieve when they have old vines and modern equipment. Fresh and fruit-driven, the outstanding 2022 vintage added an extra level of complexity and a sweeter tone than usual. Taste Sébastien believes in letting his wine’s character shine through. His Bourgogne Chardonna

The Viré-Clessé appellation, located between Tournus and Mâcon, is the most recent of the Mâconnais region’s village appellations (1999), exclusively made from Chardonnay grapes. The vineyards, for the most part, are planted on hillsides, where a local type of soil derived from white limestone called “cray” can be found. This delicious Vire-Clesse is from one of Burgundy's finest. Predominant aromas of fine intense fruit, the nose reveals a touch of lemon, mango and subtle floral notes. The pala

Recently purchased by the Tinazzi family, Pian del Gallo is located in Greve, one of the eight communes that form the Chianti Classico DOCG. Certified Organic for over 20 years, 2022 marked the first vintage from Pian del Gallo under the Tinazzi stewardship, making it one of Tinazzi's flagship names. With fine tannins and a complex aromatic profile full of red fruits, the wines of Pian del Gallo are ones to follow. Taste A Chianti with great freshness, finesse and elegance, there are fine tannin

A rare chance to savour the exquisite Pouilly Fuisse Vieilles Vignes 2021 from Burgundy great, Vincent Girardin. 2021 was a lovely but hugely challenging vintage in Burgundy.  The little wine that was made offers a delicious combination of freshness, elegance, and harmony. The Vincent Girardin Pouilly Fuisse Vieilles Vignes typifies this, offering mouth-watering citrus, green apple and white peach fruit that’s given richness and depth by barrel fermentation. Sublime now, it will continue to deve

95 Points - James Halliday / Halliday 5 Red Star Winery. When the godfather of Australian wine awards a producer a 5 Red Star Winery and 95 points, you know it’s something special. Briar Ridge’ Briar Hill Chardonnay 2021 is just such a wine. This mighty Hunter Valley wine pulls off that seemingly impossible trick of being powerful, yet elegant, fruitful yet reserved. Wonderfully pure fruit – apples, melon, peaches, pears – are perfectly aligned with the generous, but well-integrated, new French

Château Vitallis only made a tiny amount of wine in 2021, but they are ones lovers of white Burgundy should have. The Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Les Vignes du Château’ 2021 is a blend of grapes from Château Vitallis’ historic 13th-century plots. The vines, with an average age of 35 years, are planted on clay-limestone Jurassic soils, and bring richness to their wines. In line with owners Denis and Maxime Dutron’s winemaking philosophy, great care and attention are lavished on the vineyards using organic me

Domaine Masse’s Rully 1er Cru Les Deux Terres Blanc 2022 ranks as one of the best value fine white Burgundies from this outstanding vintage. Crafted by Fabrice from his well-sited, old vine Chardonnay, his customary attention to detail paid off handsomely in this challenging, but brilliant year. Ripe, rounded and full, it remains elegant and poised and displays Rully’s signature smoky minerality and lovely floral notes. It is offerings like this that have seen demand for Domaine Masse’s wines so

Domaine Vincent Prunier Pernand Vergelesses Blanc 2022 is another excellent example of this micro-domaine’s fantastic wines. Pernand Vergelesses lies just north of Beaune and can offer exceptional value for money. Vincent’s Pernand Vergelesses Blanc 2022 is an outstanding wine. Hand harvested, hand sorted, and handmade, it offers ample fruit, an elegant structure, and fine acidity that makes it a joy to drink young though it has the ability to age beautifully. Prices for Domaine Vincent Prunier’