In what has been billed as a “celebration of Chardonnay”, the results of London Wine Fair’s third Icon Tasting – The Greatest Chardonnay Showdown – were announced this morning, on the show’s Centre Stage, on the eve of International Chardonnay Day (21st May). Billed as a benchmark tasting to assess the finest Chardonnay from classic and emerging regions, across different styles, including sparkling, the results firmly favoured Australia, which took both poll and runner-up positions, for Tolpuddle Vineyard and Vasse Felix, respectively. In the “Top 10” the results were evenly split 50:50, between Europe and non-European regions. England also triumphed with a third place for Danbury Ridge.
The Greatest Chardonnay Showdown was judged by 18 of the UK industry’s most talented and influential palates, more than two thirds of whom were either Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers, including Jancis Robinson MW OBE; Dawn Davies MW; Tony Lécuroux MS; and Pierpaolo Petrassi MW.
The results
- The Overall Greatest Chardonnay of the World: Tolpuddle Vineyard 2023 Chardonnay, Coal River Valley, Tasmania
- Best Classic Region Chardonnay: Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013, Champagne, France
- Best Emerging Region Chardonnay: Danbury Ridge Octagon Block Chardonnay 2023, Essex, England
Top 10 Greatest Chardonnays of the World
- Tolpuddle Vineyard 2023 Chardonnay, Coal River Valley, Tasmania, Australia
- Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2020, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia
- Danbury Ridge Octagon Block Chardonnay 2023, Essex, England
- Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013, Champagne, France
- Bâtard-Montrachet 2022, Domaine Henri Boillot, Burgundy, France
- Bell Hill 2020, Limeworks, North Canterbury, New Zealand
- Shaw Smith M3 2021, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia
- Felton Road, Chardonnay Bannockburn 2021, Central Otago, New Zealand
- Cervaro della Sala 2023, Castello della Sala, Antinori, Umbria, Italy Domaine Donatsch, Unique Chardonnay Malans 2024, Graubünden, Switzerland
Best Value Chardonnay (based on the highest points per £RRP)
- Familia Deicas Juanico, Preludio Barrel Select Lote No 29 2020, Canelones, Uruguay
- Ataraxia Chardonnay 2024, Hemel-en-Aarde, Walker Bay, South Africa
- Shaw Smith M3 2021, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia
- Storm, Ridge Chardonnay 2024, Hemel-en-Aarde, Walker Bay, South Africa
- Sol de Sol Chardonnay 2024, Viña Aquitania, Traiguén, Valle de Malleco, Chile
The Wines Tasted (in order, and by groupings)
Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2013, Champagne, France
Graham Beck CH14:227 Blanc de Blancs, Robertson, South Africa
Storm, Ridge Chardonnay 2024, Hemel-en-Aarde, Walker Bay, South Africa
Sieur d’Arques Toques & Clocher, Haute Vallée Chardonnay 2024 Limoux, France
Ataraxia Chardonnay 2024, Hemel-en-Aarde, Walker Bay, South Africa
Domaine Donatsch, Unique Chardonnay Malans 2024, Graubünden, Switzerland
Yoichi-Nobori 2024 Chardonnay, Domaine Takahiko Soga, Hokkaido, Japan
Dr. Heger Ihringer Winklerberg 2023 Chardonnay, Baden, Germany
Danbury Ridge Octagon Block Chardonnay 2023, Essex, England
Kit’s Coty Chardonnay 2023, Chapel Down, Kent, England
Familia Deicas Juanico, Preludio Barrel Select Lote No 29 2020, Canelones, Uruguay
Tolpuddle Vineyard 2023 Chardonnay, Coal River Valley, Tasmania, Australia
Shaw Smith M3 2021, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2020, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia
Kistler Les Noisetiers 2022, Sonoma Coast, USA
Belle Côte 2021 Chardonnay, Peter Michael Winery, Sonoma, USA
Penfolds Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay 2019, Australia
Sol de Sol Chardonnay 2024, Viña Aquitania, Traiguén, Valle de Malleco, Chile
Bell Hill 2020, Limeworks, North Canterbury, New Zealand
Bourgogne Blanc 2020, Domaine Coche-Dury, Burgundy, France
Chablis Montee de Tonnerre Premier Cru 2021, Domaine Francois Raveneau, Burgundy, France
Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes Premier Cru 2022, Alex Moreau, Burgundy, France
Bâtard-Montrachet 2022, Domaine Henri Boillot, Burgundy, France
Sobrelías Redacción
Sobrelías Redacción