Chardonnay

Chardonnay. Pronounced Shar-don-ay

We love Chardonnay. It is the greatest white grape variety there is. Of course, it has been abused but like a thoroughbred horse or pedigree dog it is largely human intervention and mis-handling that has caused the aberrations. Anyone who has been lucky enough to enjoy a glass of Australian Chardonnay while watching the sun set across Sydney Harbour or a glass of Chablis whilst touring the vineyards of Burgundy will know that Chardonnay simply cannot be beaten.

Chardonnay has toured the world with ease and there probably isn't a wine producing country not currently experimenting with different uses for this grape. The very finest expressions of Chardonnay certainly hail from Burgundy but New Zealand can produce examples with similar elegance and balance and Australia (particularly in the Adelaide region and in the Margaret River) is thrilling the world with slimmed down versions of their 20th century classics. Meanwhile California is re-inventing their take on Chardonnay with reduced concentration and increased elegance. Equally we should never forget the role that Chardonnay plays in the world’s great sparkling wines, not least Blanc de Blancs Champagne.

Today the general trend is towards less intervention in the winery and a 'less is more style'. Amen to that!

Products in this Category

Frogs Leap Chardonnay 2008, Napa Valley

Optimum 2010 - 2014

Fresh and vibrant, the 2008 Frog’s Leap Chardonnay (from Carneros sites) abandons contemporary trends of big oak and butter for crisp acidity and a bright finish. Aromas of pear and white peaches are layered with delicate notes of honeysuckle and peach blossoms.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£23.00 per bottle	£132.00	£22.00
£23.00 per bottle	£252.00	£21.00

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Cloudy Bay Pelorus Sparkling Wine NV, Marlborough

Early Drinking

Pelorus is the sparkling wine label of Cloudy Bay, is crafted from chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. Sunny skies and the long cool summer days of Marlborough ensure the slow ripening so essential for achieving the elegance, crispness and complexity inherent in a quality sparkling wine.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£16.50 per bottle	£93.00	£15.50
£16.50 per bottle	£180.00	£15.00

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Champagne Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 1999

Enjoy 2010 - 2017

A speciality of the house made from 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards in the Cête des Blancs. A sophisticated and elegant blanc de blancs which is a perfect foil for fresh fish or as an apéritif.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£65.00 per bottle	£360.00	£60.00
£65.00 per bottle	£696.00	£58.00

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Domaine JP Grossot Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin 2007

2010 - 2016

Sourced exclusively from 1.5ha within the 1er Cru vineyard ‘Vaucoupin’, situated 220m a.s.l with a southerly exposure on the hills outside the town of Chablis. Clean as a whistle on the nose, showing predominantly mineral aromas of flint and citrus fruit. A traditionally tight palate allows the nervy, limey acidity to shine through the green apples and stones on the palate. Lengthy, clean, and elegant.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£25.00 per bottle	£138.00	£23.00
£25.00 per bottle	£270.00	£22.50

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Trinity Hill, Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2008, Hawkes Bay

2010 - 2013 +

The characters typical of the Trinity Hills Gimblett Road vineyards such as pineapple, grapefruit, fig and pear are evident in the 2008. Mealy, biscuity barrel ferment and integrated oak characters add complexity. The wine displays the desirable character of elegance with power. This is a powerful wine, but it also shows softness and great balance.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£17.50 per bottle	£17.50	n/a
	£103.50	£17.25
	£204.00	£17.00

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Domaine Jean-Pierre Grossot Chablis 1er Cru Les Fourneaux 2007

2010 - 2014

The Fourneaux vines are planted in soil made up predominantly from clay. 2/3 fermented in vat and 1/3 fermented in wood, then aged for 6 months in wood between 1 and 5 years old before back blending with the vat fermented wine. Pale lemon yellow with a hint of green, lively, fruity flavours with a hint of spice on the nose and honey richness on the palate, counterbalanced by a clean, crisp minerally character.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£23.00 per bottle	£23.00	n/a
	£129.00	£21.50
	£252.00	£21.00

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Domaine Jean-Pierre Grossot Chablis 2007

2010 - 2012

Although Jean–Pierre Grossot’s Domaine totals 15ha we were very fortunate indeed to be able to obtain a modest allocation from Grossot, as worldwide demand for his wines is huge. Domaine Grossot combines great concentration and depth of flavour, with a fine minerally, steely quality, that is so unique to wines from this region. Made from old vines, the wine is beautifully balanced and elegant, with an exceptionally long finish.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£16.50 per bottle	£16.50	n/a
	£96.00	£16.00
	£186.00	£15.50

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Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2008, Hawkes Bay

2010 - 2012

Hand picked fruit from the Gimblett Road vineyards goes into this blend, great quality is gently whole-bunch pressed to encourage low phenolic pickup and elegance. Only the highest quality free-run juice is selected. This helps to improve the texture and aging ability of the wine. 100% of the juice was fermented and aged in 29% new French oak barriques with the rest being fermented in 1 and 2-year-old barriques. Less than 10% malo-lactic fermentation was used, to retain the as much of the pure Chardonnay character as possible. Lees aging and regular stirring was used to increase complexity and mouth feel.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£12.50 per bottle	£73.50	£12.25
£12.50 per bottle	£144.00	£12.00

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Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Mixed Case 2010

Drink 2010 - 2016

Trinity Hills, established in the late 1980s is situated on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Trinity Hill is a partnership between John Hancock, Robert and Robyn Wilson (owners of London’s Bleeding Heart and The Don restaurants) and Aucklanders Trevor and Hanne Janes. A mixed case of 4 classics from Trinity Hill's famous Hawkes Bay vineyards in New Zealand. 3 bottles of; Syrah, Trinity, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

n/a	£141.00	n/a

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Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2008, Paarl

Drink by end 2012

Glen Carlou is situated on the northern foothills of Simonsberg Mountain in the Paarl Wine Region. This limited-release wine derives its name from a single, mature vineyard planted in soils containing a generous percentage of quartz stone shards. It's a powerful wine, but one which commands respect. It retains elegance and freshness despite the full-throttle style.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£14.50 per bottle	£82.50	£13.75
£14.50 per bottle	£162.00	£13.50

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Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 2007

Drink 2010 - 2019

The name "mouches" means flies. There were once bee-hives in this sun-drenched "clos" (vineyard enclosure); the bees in the local dialect were called "mouches à miel" (honey flies), hence the name Clos des Mouches. It is one of the first vineyards acquired by Maurice Drouhin (the founder's son) in the 1920's. With great determination, he bought 41 different parcels from 8 proprietors. It is planted equally in red and white grapes and both wines have achieved mythical status for the House of Joseph Drouhin.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£70.00 per bottle	£372.00	£62.00
£70.00 per bottle	£732.00	£61.00

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Joseph Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet 2007

Optimum 2010 - 2015

Drouhin's Chassagne-Montrachet 2007 is a generous and elegant wine. Light golden colour with an intense nose of spring flowers, brioche and citrus fruits. As the wine ages it will evolve nuances of hazelnut and spice. On the palate the is straightforward, with a good texture and obvious finessse. It has good long aftertaste where floral and gingerbread notes dominate.

RRP	Our price	Equivalent

£37.50 per bottle	£216.00	£36.00
£37.50 per bottle	£420.00	£35.00

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Chardonnay

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