Chardonnay is so hot right now! We’re seeing an incredible run of quality across the board, and the depth and diversity of styles on offer is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Australia, where producers are turning out some of the finest Chardonnay the country has ever seen. In this pack, we’ve pulled together a brilliant line-up, headlined by Montalto, Leeuwin Estate and Oakridge — heavyweights from the country’s pre-eminent Chardonnay regions. Montalto’s Pennon Hill is everything you want from Mornington Peninsula: bright, coastal, and vibrant, with juicy stone fruit, citrus drive and a gentle savoury edge.

Leeuwin’s Prelude delivers a more polished Margaret River expression, layering pristine fruit with fine oak, texture and that trademark balance that has made the estate so revered. And Oakridge’s Hazeldene, under the watchful eye of Dave Bicknell, is a benchmark of modern Australian Chardonnay, precise, structured and quietly powerful, with beautifully integrated oak and a long, mineral finish. 

Alongside these local benchmarks, we’ve rounded things out with a cast of international stars to give a true global perspective on the grape. The legendary wines of Michael Brajkovich at Kumeu River continue to set the standard for New Zealand Chardonnay, consistently punching well above their weight and often going toe-to-toe with top white Burgundy.

From Oregon, Cristom brings a refined, site-driven expression from the Eola-Amity Hills, layered, poised, and quietly powerful. Chardonnay in the region is hitting new heights, and with some new blood in the form of ex-Littorai winemaker and vigneron,m Daniel Estrin, in charge of chardonnay, we are seeing great things. And from Jura, Rolet delivers a mineral-soaked, alpine take on Chardonnay, all tension, salinity, and detail.

​​​​​​Together, this is a collection that showcases just how exciting Chardonnay is right now — a mix of icons and rising stars that all deliver in spades.

Montalto is a Mornington Peninsula icon, as much for its wines as it is for the experience of visiting. Producing classic Mornington fare, their focus is on site expression and vineyard-driven wines. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lead the charge here, with a style that captures the Peninsula’s elegance, texture and cool-climate precision.

Bright and expressive, this is classic Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay with plenty of lift and drinkability. Aromas of white peach, nectarine and poached pear lead into hints of white florals, brioche and roasted hazelnut. The palate is juicy and moreish, driven by fresh citrus acidity that cuts through layers of stone fruit and subtle pastry notes. There’s a gentle savoury edge—spice, a touch of reduction and a mineral line—that gives the wine shape and length. It finishes clean, vibrant and nicely textured.

Pennon Hill sits as Montalto’s more approachable Chardonnay, designed to be enjoyed young while still carrying the hallmarks of the estate. It’s typically a blend of fruit from multiple vineyard sites across the Peninsula—Red Hill, Main Ridge and Tuerong—rather than a single-vineyard expression, which gives it both consistency and an easygoing style.

Oakridge’s Hazeldene Chardonnay is a perennial favourite and this 2024 is another ripper. This wine is flush with fruit and long through the finish, and while its complexity more or less looks after itself there’s plenty going on beneath the bonnet. Nuts, yellow stone fruits, cooked apples, sweet meal and cracked wheat are all washed through with citrus, cedar and grapefruit. There’s a delicate aspect to the texture, in the best of ways. We are absolutely on song here. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com.au

Dave Bicknell is the driving force behind Oakridge and a key figure in modern Australian Chardonnay. The Hazeldene Chardonnay never fails to deliver, showcasing site, structure and finesse. With a focus on vineyard expression and restrained winemaking, it’s hard to find a better price-to-quality ratio anywhere in the country.

…Nougat, chestnut and fine cedar mark a savoury beginning before an unfurling of white grapefruit, peach skin and dehydrated lime. Allusions of flint. It’s immediate and open, though with definition and detail. Notes of brown spice and salted lemon emerge with air. It all clicks nicely into place, making for a really striking perfume. The palate is textural and full, with the nutty savouriness and fine cedar notes sitting forward before a cut of pithy white grapefruit and tangy lemon hold sway and pull it linear. Classic Gin Gin clone acidity and phenolic grip put up a lovely long frame around the finish, which is drawn to good length. This is very good, and at its price point it can boast complexity, structure, power and detail. TOM KLINE, winepilot.com

This is as good as you'd hope and better than you'd expect. It's a very good wine. It has good fruit intensity, a rub of texture, sound-smoky length and strong all-around appeal. It tastes of grapefruit, lemongrass, peach and pear, with cedar and smoke as attractive whispers. All the way along the line, I like what I taste here. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

One of Margaret River’s best, Leeuwin Estate helped put the region on the world stage, particularly through its iconic Art Series Chardonnay. Family owned and operated, it combines fine wine, art and music into a globally recognised brand. The wines consistently show finesse and power, cementing Leeuwin as one of Australia’s benchmark producers. 

The odd one out in the Kumeu Chardonnay lineup, not in a bad way, more because its from Hawkes Bay.
Here’s a juicy and flavoursome expression of Chardonnay. Lots of peach, ripe lime, honey biscuits. aniseed and spice. It fairly bursts with peach and lime, though the acidity is tight and balanced, and it feels quite flinty, has some glycerol richness and finishes zesty and fruity with excellent length and a chalky flourish. Very tasty. Needs a year or so to calm its farm, though there’s no problem enjoying its flavour-packed charm now either. (93+) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Herbal aromas, fresh-picked green herbs, cucumber and lime, a tease of honey: a more fruit-driven bouquet, the palate tensioned and focused, with very good penetration and length, the bouquet building smoky snuffed candle and flint characters as it airs. A more pointed and tense wine than the Kumeu Estate. (93) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

An absolute Kiwi icon, Kumeu River is consistently listed among the world’s greatest Chardonnay producers. Regularly giving white Burgundy a run for its money, these wines are precise, mineral and beautifully balanced. It’s one of our favourite Chardonnay producers, delivering remarkable consistency and class vintage after vintage.

From eight different sites in the Eola Amity Hills, winemaker Daniel Estrin learned how to make Chardonnay from Litorrai's Ted Lemon. Paul Gerrie makes up the bulk of this wine with Eileen and Louise. 100% barrel fermented Estrin uses a tactile approach to the lees inclusion in this wine. At the entry-level, this wine is still over-vintaged, which builds tension in the wine. Notes of tarragon and chipped flint frame the smoky grilled lemon aromatics. Stony flint streaks introduce the palate, green mangoes, and grilled lemon peel. Delicious and a tad unbelievable as their entry-level bottling. CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is a total pleasure on the nose, wafting up with notions of sweet spice, chamomile and ginger-tinged yellow apples. Round and supple, this possesses a core of juicy acidity that enlivens it's tart orchard fruits as a salty sensation forms toward the close. It tapers off with tension, cleansing and fresh, leaving a mineral twang and hints of sour citrus. Beautiful. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous

A bright medium yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is elegant, with a juicy, decadent feel to its notes of sweet oak spice, delicate, floral perfume, wet stone, and fresh white peach. Refreshing and mouthwatering, it’s medium-bodied and crisp, with good ripeness of acidity and a clean, elegant finish. It’s going to age well over the coming 6-8 years. JEB DUNNUCK

Cristom is one of Oregon’s benchmark producers, crafting wines that express the unique character of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Their Chardonnay is a standout, combining energy, structure and finesse, with a Burgundian sensibility and a distinctly Oregon edge. Precision winemaking and thoughtful vineyard work define the house style.

The 2023 L'Étoile Chardonnay En Novalet opens with moderately intense grapefruit, wet stone and ripe lemon. Light- to medium-bodied at just 12.5% alcohol, it offers a clean, modern interpretation of this small white-only appellation, finishing with subtle finesse. NICOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

Jura Chardonnay at its best from one of the region’s most respected producers, Domaine Rolet has long been a benchmark for the style. This is mineral-soaked Chardonnay from the striking mountains of the Jura, combining freshness, texture and a distinct savoury edge. A recent buy, and one we absolutely love.

The perfect amount of oxidative goodness that screams classic Jura profiling but here in a slightly more modern context that delivers plenty of lively fruit too. Its a plusher version then last year but that little extra oppulence gives it alot of extra appeal too. Pear, golden delcious apple, a little nectarine fruit and a burst of quartzy, mineral laden spice too. Its sweet fruit is off-set by that oh-so-wonderful saline edge that Jura does so well. You can taste the limestone soils here. Its a compelling drink from one of the regions greats.