Big buttery chardonnays are becoming rarer as many winemakers are choosing lighter styles, sometimes with a little nuttiness and texture.
However, whether you prefer a buttery oaky style or a crisp minerally one, as always, it's the harmony, balance and complexity that make for a fine wine.
stoneleigh.co.nz
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
A buttery chardonnay oozing sweet peaches and nectarines with hints of golden syrup and almonds, backed by lots of oak. There's lots going on here. Heaven for lovers of big, buttery, oaky chardonnay.
millsreef.co.nz
$31
Four stars
Good value
A mouth-filling wine with layers of flavour, a restrained nuttiness, nicely integrated oak, a crisp textural finish and a lingering aftertaste hinting of buttery nuts.
domainerewa.com
$37
Four and a half stars
Good value
Broad, mouth-filling and intense, this is a wine with everything, but it's all nicely integrated and harmonious - hints of peaches, citrus, almonds and herbs supported by toasty oak and a stylish minerality, with a fresh, lingering finish.
pegasusbay.com
$45
Five stars
Good value
A fine wine, fresh with delicious hints of citrus and white-fleshed peaches, a suggestion of mineral, finely textured and beautifully balanced with a long, harmonious finish. It will develop for five to eight years in a good cellar.
atarangi.co.nz
ANOTHER GLASS
Brancott Estate Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2013
$17.30
Three stars
Average value
A simple wine with hints of sweet peaches and nuts, and a clean, slightly hard finish.
brancottestate.com
Black Ridge Central Otago Chardonnay 2013
$22
Three stars
Below average value
Hints of canned peaches, apples, toffee and golden syrup, a suggestion of smoky nuts and a crisp finish.
