This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Asian Chardonnay Masters 2018: Results and Analysis
Chardonnay, arguably one of the most versatile white grape variety that has been popularised in virtually all vine-growing regions, is also among the most maligned on earth: first too oaky then too lean. The ‘Anything But Chardonnay’ movement of the 1990s was a vocal market rejection of an oaky, overripe and buttery style that was like sticking your nose into a bucket of popcorn. What followed later was a withdrawal from the heavy-handed use of oak to create austere, lean and racy expressions with acidity sometimes so pronounced that it was like biting into a lemon. Regardless of stylistic differences, though, the Hong Kong market seems to have a shelf space to accommodate both, as the results from Asian Chardonnay Masters this year have shown.
From left to right: (first row: JC Viens, wine educator, Joao Pires MS, Jennie Mack, managing director of AWSEC, Ivy Ng, former publisher of the drinks business Hong Kong, Sarah Wong, wine judge and columnist; second row: David Wainright, director of Andromeda Wine, Eric Desgouttes, general manager of Kerry Wines, Derek Li, group sommelier at JIA Group, and Allie Braithwaite, former employee at drinks business Hong Kong.
Nowadays, while both styles still exist, winemakers are generally refraining from excessive oak use to achieve a balance between acidity, oak and structure, a key point for the judges when reviewing all the samples.
Describing her perfect example of a Chardonnay, Sarah Wong, wine judge and columnist, said: “It is one that has fresh fruit. It should be balanced with crisp acidity levels, and good fruit intensity. Oak should be discreet and well-integrated into the wine”.
With balance in mind, the judging results showed that heavy oak use that overwhelmed Chardonnay’s own pleasant fruit profile was penalised, so were samples that were cloying, flabby and ripe, without an acidic backbone, or samples that were too green and racy, lacking fruit intensity and texture.
Chardonnay, a blank canvas for winemakers
About the competition
The Asian Chardonnay Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business Hong Kong, and is an extension of its successful Asian Masters series. The competition is exclusively for single varietal Chardonnay wines and the entries were judged by a selection of experienced tasters including Hong Kong and Macau’s top sommeliers, wine buyers and wine educators. The top Chardonnay wines were awarded Gold (93 points or above), Silver (89 points or above) or Bronze (85 points or above) medals according to their result, and those samples that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Master (97 points or above). The wines were tasted over the course of a single day on 20 May at Hip Cellar. This report features only the medal winners.
Different from Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc, regardless of its growing region, Chardonnay, can be deftly shaped by a winemaker’s skills, cellar techniques and barrel ageing, giving it a chameleon-like nature.
This means a clever winemaker can create a plethora of styles with a repertoire of techniques including malolactic fermentation, lees stirring and time spent in barrel. In a market like Hong Kong, consumers seem to be more receptive to different styles of Chardonnay from this wide spectrum.
Derek Li, group sommelier of JIA Group, said even heavily oaked Chardonnay has a spot on a restaurant’s wine list. “Chinese people would like to pick a Chardonnay with quite heavy influence of barrel ageing and Western diners prefer a mineral-driven style,” he said.
Jennie Mack, founder of Asia Wine Service & Education Centre (AWSEC), said: “Casual drinkers like fruity and sometimes oaky styles but more experienced wine drinkers prefer Chardonnays from Beaune, particularly Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault.”
When it comes to high-value Chardonnays, Burgundy rules among Hong Kong’s deep-pocketed wine enthusiasts and collectors, added David Wainwright, independent wine consult and judge, who previously worked for auctions houses such as Christie’s and Zachys. “Burgundy still dominates, maybe a bit of California here and there,” Wainwright said, but stressed that at the same time, Burgundy, the spiritual home for Chardonnay, and in many cases still considered the pinnacle of a winemaking, is “aspirational” to many young wine drinkers.
Ivy Ng, former publisher of the drinks business Hong Kong
Chardonnay from down under
Joao Pires MS and Eric Desgouttes, general manager of Kerry Wines
The Master-winning Greywacke Chardonnay 2011 from New Zealand’s Marlborough region, made by Kevin Judd, the former winemaker at Cloudy Bay, is a prime example of what a balanced Chardonnay can taste like. With a creamy and silky texture, supplemented with abundant citrus zestiness, and spice nuance from barrel ageing, the wine was a surprise for judge Li.
“The wine is showing brilliant minerality, like crushed stone, and intense freshly picked white peaches. The palate is well integrated, with a balance of fresh acidity with good use of oak. The wine also has a long-lasting finish,” the sommelier said.
As well as Greywacke, a few other New Zealand Chardonnays also came in for high praise from the judges, proving that the country has more to offer than Sauvignon Blanc. Spy Valley Chardonnay 2015 is a lighter style with lively acidity, hints of floral notes on top of its citrus-dominated nose and costing less than HK$150 a bottle.
Aside from Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay is another region that has championed Chardonnay, accounting for 32% of New Zealand’s total plantings in 2016. Babich Irongate Chardonnay 2016, from the region’s now renowned Gimblett Gravels subzone, rich with gravelly soils, is a steely version of Chardonnay that impressed Wainwright. The quality of the Chardonnays from New World countries like the Greywacke and Babich wines is their value, both in the HK$200-HK$300 price band.
The judges
Derek Li, Group Sommelier at JIA Group Holding Ltd
Jennie Mack, Managing Director of Asia Wine Service & Education Centre (AWSEC)
Joao Pires MS, Director of Wine at Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Macau
In Australia, another country where Chardonnay has come of age, unburdened by oak and high-octane personality, the trend is to craft wines of more polished, nuanced flavours and smooth textures. It’s hard to make generalisations about a style for Chardonnay in Australia, and there are classics coming from regions such as Margaret River, as in the iconic Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay that commands strong market interest, or the richer and more generous style of Allegiance Wines Unity Chardonnay 2017 that equally impressed the judges, earning a Gold medal.
David Wainwright, Director of Andromeda Wine
There was also a more restrained ‘Burgundian’ version from the region’s Voyager Estate. The white is smooth, textured and has seamless tension that was lauded by Eric Desgouttes, general manager of Kerry Wines, who called it “an excellent example of what Chardonnay should taste like”, one that suited the general trends in the market.
In Clare Valley, it was one Chardonnay by the region’s pioneering winery Wakefield Taylors Family Wines that bowled over the judges, not just for its craftsmanship but also for its price point, selling for less than HK$150.
Another value-for-money wine is McGuigan’s The Shortlist Chardonnay 2016 from Adelaide Hills, in the HK$100-HK$150 price band, with a thrilling smoky and lemony nose. As well as the well-established wine regions in the country, a relatively newer one, Pemberton, in western Australia also bagged a Gold medal with its Castelli Estate Chardonnay 2016.
US and South Africa
Derek Li, group sommelier at JIA Group
Another top-medal winning wine from the blind tasting is Jackson Family Wines’ Cambria Benchbreak Chardonnay 2015 from California’s cooler-climate Santa Maria Valley. This smoky and leesy Chardonnay is laced with citrus notes, lemon peel, toastiness and a pleasant struck-match whiff, a result of hydrogen sulphide during fermentation. The wine, harking back to a more classic Chardonnay style, impressed the judges enough to take home a Master.
Another Jackson Family Wines’ Chardonnay made with parcels picked from high-elevation vineyards in its Stonestreet winery in Alexander Valley also stood out, and earned a Gold medal.
This was a plusher example but had plenty lively acidity and structure. This year, another top-performing wine country from the competition was South Africa. With a record number of entries from the country, three won Gold medals.
Columnist Sarah Wong
Distell Wines, the South African wine giant, netted two Golds, with its Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve The Cableway Chardonnay in Cape Town and its Fleur du Cap Series Privée Chardonnay made with grapes selected from two vineyards in Stellenbosch.
The Durbanville Chardonnay is a lighter version with a slight touch of wood, while the Fleur du Cap Chardonnay is a more bodied and dense wine with ripe fruits. Contrasting with larger-scale Distell, the Kershaw Elgin Clonal Selection Chardonnay is a small artisanal production by Richard Kershaw MW.
A restrained and site-specific white, the wine from the country’s Elgin Valley impressed the judges with its mineral style and white-fruit characters.
Aside from the regions mentioned above, this year the majority of the samples we received were from the New World, including entries from lesser-known regions such as China’s Ningxia region, Japan’s Yamanashi, and many more from Chile, Argentina, Israel, Italy, and France. Except for a few number of wines that had notes of unbalanced reduction and oxidation notes, most of the samples were well made and technically correct.
Unoaked Chardonnay <=HK$100
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ASC Fine Wines (HK) Trading Corporation Ltd | Las Huertas Chardonnay | 2016 | Colchagua | Chile | Silver |
Gruppo Mezzacorona | Mezzacorona Chardonnay, Trentino DOC | 2017 | Trentino | Italy | Bronze |
Gruppo Mezzacorona | Mezzacorona Chardonnay, Vigneti delle Dolomiti | 2017 | Trentino | Italy | Bronze |
Velenosi s.r.l. | Villa Angela Chardonnay | 2017 | Ascoli Piceno, Marche | Italy | Bronze |
Unoaked Chardonnay HK$101-150
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Babich Wines Ltd | Babich Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay | 2017 | Hawke’s Bay | New Zealand | Silver |
Pernod Ricard Winemaker (Ningxia) Co., Ltd | Helan Mountain Classic Dry White Wine | 2015 | Ningxia | China | Bronze |
Oaked Chardonnay <=HK$100
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ASC Fine Wines (HK) Trading Corporation Ltd | Norton Chardonnay Barrel Select | 2017 | Mendoza | Argentina | Bronze |
Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd | Reserve Chardonnay | 2016 | Upper Galilee | Israel | Bronze |
Boschendal Wines | Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay | 2017 | Western Cape | South Africa | Silver |
De Bortoli Wines Pty Ltd | DB Family Selection Chardonnay | 2017 | Riverina | Australia | Bronze |
De Bortoli Wines Pty Ltd | DB Winemaker Selection Chardonnay | 2017 | South Eastern Australia | Australia | Bronze |
Distell Limited | Fleur du Cap Essence du Cap Chardonnay | 2017 | Western Cape | South Africa | Bronze |
Gruppo Mezzacorona | Feudo Arancio Chardonnay Sicilia DOC | 2017 | Sicily | Italy | Silver |
Sur Valles Wine Group | Santa Alba Reserve Chardonnay | 2016 | Maule Valley | Chile | Silver |
Ulupna Winery | Viviana Ferrari Collection Promenade Chardonnay | 2016 | McLaren Vale/Gouldburn Valley | Australia | Bronze |
Oaked Chardonnay HK$101-150
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alkoomi Wines | Alkoomi Chardonnay | 2017 | Frankland River | Australia | Silver |
Allegiance Wines | Allegiance Wines The Matron Hilltops Chardonnay | 2017 | Hilltops, NSW | Australia | Bronze |
Australian Vintage Ltd | Nepenthe Altitude Chardonnay | 2016 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | Bronze |
Australian Vintage Ltd | Tempus Two Copper Wilde Chardonnay | 2016 | Hunter Valley/Adelaide Hills | Australia | Bronze |
Australian Vintage Ltd | Tempus Two Platinum Series Chardonnay | 2016 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | Bronze |
Babich Wines Ltd | Babich Family Estates Headwaters Organic Chardonnay | 2017 | Wairau Valley, Marlborough | New Zealand | Bronze |
Barkan Wine Cellars Ltd | Special Reserve Chardonnay, Winemakers’ Choice | 2016 | Upper Galilee | Israel | Bronze |
Boschendal Wines | Boschendal Appellation Series Elgin Chardonnay | 2016 | Elgin | South Africa | Silver |
De Bortoli Wines Pty Ltd | Villages Chardonnay | 2016 | Yarra Valley | Australia | Bronze |
Distell Limited | Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve The Cableway Chard Durbanville Hills | 2017 | Durbanville, Cape Town | South Africa | Gold |
Distell Limited | Fleur du Cap Series Privée Chardonnay | 2017 | Western Cape | South Africa | Gold |
Laroche | L’Art des Sens Chardonnay Réserve | 2016 | IGP Pays d’Oc | France | Silver |
Mas La Chevalière | Mas La Chevalière Vignoble Peyroli | 2015 | Languedoc | France | Silver |
Spy Valley Wines | Spy Valley Chardonnay | 2015 | Marlborough | New Zealand | Gold |
Ulupna Winery | Ulupna Single Vineyard Chardonnay | 2015 | Goulburn Valley | Australia | Bronze |
Vondeling Wines | Vondeling Chardonnay | 2017 | Voor Paardeberg | South Africa | Bronze |
Wakefield Taylors Family Wines | Jaraman Chardonnay | 2016 | Clare Valley/Adelaide Hills | Australia | Silver |
Wakefield Taylors Family Wines | Wakefield Taylors Family Wines Chardonnay | 2017 | Clare Valley | Australia | Gold |
Oaked Chardonnay HK$151-200
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Vintage Ltd | McGuigan The Shortlist Chardonnay | 2016 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | Gold |
Cape Barren Wines | Cape Barren Native Goose Chardonnay | 2016 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | Bronze |
Distell Limited | Plaisir de Merle Chardonnay | 2017 | Simonsberg/Paarl | South Africa | Bronze |
Journey’s End Vineyard (Pty) Ltd | Journey’s End Chardonnay | 2016 | Stellenbosch | South Africa | Bronze |
Marisco Vineyards | The King’s Bastard Chardonnay | 2016 | Marlborough | New Zealand | Bronze |
Marisco Vineyards | The Ned Chardonnay | 2016 | Wairau Valley, Marlborough | New Zealand | Silver |
Trinchero Family Estates | Cloudfall Chardonnay | 2016 | Monterey County | USA | Silver |
Trinchero Family Estates | Folie a Deux Russian River Valley Chardonnay | 2016 | Russian River Valley | USA | Silver |
Trinchero Family Estates | Napa Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay | 2015 | Napa Valley | USA | Silver |
Tyrrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd | Tyrrell’s Wines Hunter Valley Chardonnay | 2017 | Hunter Valley | Australia | Silver |
Oaked Chardonnay HK$201-300
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Vintage Ltd | McGuigan Personal Reserve Hunter Ridge Chardonnay | 2017 | Hunter Valley | Australia | Bronze |
Australian Vintage Ltd | Nepenthe Ithaca Chardonnay | 2016 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | Bronze |
Babich Wines Ltd | Babich Irongate Chardonnay | 2016 | Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay | New Zealand | Gold |
Cakebread Cellars | Bakestone Cellars Chardonnay North Coast California | 2016 | North Coast California | USA | Bronze |
Cape Mentelle Vineyards Ltd | Cape Mentelle Chardonnay | 2016 | Margaret River | Australia | Silver |
Castelli Estate | Castelli Estate Chardonnay | 2016 | Pemberton | Australia | Gold |
Greywacke | Greywacke Chardonnay | 2011 | Marlborough | New Zealand | Master |
Jackson Family Wines | Cambria Benchbreak Chardonnay | 2015 | Santa Maria Valley | USA | Master |
Jackson Family Wines | Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Chardonnay | 2016 | Napa Valley | USA | Silver |
Jackson Family Wines | Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay | 2016 | California | USA | Silver |
Jackson Family Wines | La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay | 2016 | Sonoma Coast | USA | Bronze |
Journey’s End Vineyard (Pty) Ltd | Journey’s End Destination Chardonnay | 2016 | Stellenbosch | South Africa | Bronze |
La Motte | La Motte Chardonnay | 2016 | Franschhoek | South Africa | Silver |
Nocton Vineyard | The Willow Series Reserve Chardonnay | 2015 | Southern Tasmania | Australia | Bronze |
Pernod Ricard Winemaker (Ningxia) Co., Ltd | Helan Mountain Premium Collection Chardonnay | 2016 | Ningxia | China | Silver |
Spy Valley Wines | Spy Valley Envoy Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay | 2015 | Marlborough | New Zealand | Silver |
Trefethen Family Vineyards | Trefethen Family Vineyards Chardonnay | 2016 | Oak Knoll District, Napa | USA | Silver |
Trinchero Family Estates | Pacific Heights Russian River Valley Chardonnay | 2015 | Russian River Valley | USA | Bronze |
Voyager Estate | Voyager Estate Chardonnay | 2015 | Margaret River | Australia | Gold |
Wakefield Taylors Family Wines | St Andrews Chardonnay | 2016 | Clare Valley | Australia | Silver |
Oaked Chardonnay HK$301-400
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ASC Fine Wines (HK) Trading Corporation Ltd | Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume | 2014 | Burgundy | France | Silver |
Allegiance Wines | Allegiance Wines Unity Margaret River Chardonnay | 2017 | Margaret River | Australia | Gold |
Conte Tasca d’Almerita Soc. Agr.Arl. | Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Vigna San Francesco C Tasca d’Almerita | 2015 | Sicilia Contea di Sclafani DOC | Italy | Silver |
Flaneur Wines | X-Novo Chardonnay | 2015 | Eola-Amity | USA | Bronze |
Marisco Vineyards | Craft Series The Pioneer Chardonnay | 2015 | Marlborough | New Zealand | Bronze |
Richard Kershaw Wines | Kershaw Elgin Clonal Selection Chardonnay | 2016 | Elgin | South Africa | Gold |
Treasury Wine Estates | Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay | 2016 | Tumbarumba | Australia | Silver |
Tyrrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd | Tyrrell’s Wines Winemaker’s Selection Vat 47 Hunter Val Tyrrell’s Vineyards | 2013 | Hunter Valley | Australia | Silver |
Oaked Chardonnay HK$401-800
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domaine Papin | Domaine Le Petit Marand – eXtra Ordinaire Chardonnay Le Petit Marand | 2016 | IGP Charentais | France | Bronze |
Jackson Family Wines | Capensis Chardonnay | 2014 | Western Cape | South Africa | Silver |
Jackson Family Wines | Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay | 2015 | Alexander Valley/Sonoma County | USA | Gold |
Peccavi Wines | Peccavi Chardonnay | 2015 | Margaret River | Australia | Silver |
Pernod Ricard Winemaker (Ningxia) Co., Ltd | Helan Mountain Xiao Feng Chardonnay | 2015 | Ningxia | China | Silver |
Stellenview Premium Wines (Pty) Ltd. | Kruger Family Reserve Chardonnay | 2017 | Stellenbosch | South Africa | Bronze |
Treasury Wine Estates | Penfolds Reserve Bin 16A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay | 2016 | Adelaide Hills | Australia | Silver |
Oaked Chardonnay >HK$800
Company | Product Name | Vintage | Region | Country | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suntory Wine International Limited | Tomi White | 2015 | Yamanashi | Japan | Bronze |