CHARDONNAY SHINES AT WINE AWARDS

Chardonnay has staged a comeback at this year’s New World Wine Awards. Top-ranking Gold medal Chardonnays feature in the New World Wine Awards ‘Top 50’.

“While a record number of Rosé wines entered the New World Wines Awards, it was the enduring Chardonnay category that particularly pleased the judges this year,” said Chair of Judges Jim Harré. Harré said the varietal has moved on from the heavily oaked and buttery Chardonnays of the 1980s, and beyond the pronounced citrus and steely acidity that was prominent in the early 2000s.

“Now, we have well-managed wines that reflect the true quality of the Chardonnay fruit, with a judicious use of oak, and a fine elegance brought about by considered winemaking. They are simply a delight to drink, and a must-try even for those who may not typically choose Chardonnay.”

The Wither Hills Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 was selected as the Champion White Wine for the whole competition. Other Gold medal-winning Chardonnays include the Riverby Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2014, the Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017 and the Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017.

The New World Wine Awards uses the internationally recognised 100-point system. Under this system, wines are benchmarked and scored against what a perfect wine should be like, rather than against each other.

The Champion Wines in the New World Wine Awards 2018