Chardonnay
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Domaine des Deux Roches,
Ready, but will keep,
Our 2018 White Burgundy has been made in collaboration with our good friends Jean-Luc Terrier and Christian Collovray. This delicious expression of mineral Burgundian Chardonnay has delicate floral aromas, while the palate abounds with ripe citrus and peach fruit, finishing on a subtle, smoky note thanks to well-judged oak. An excellent Apéritif, or an ideal match for salads, seafood and lighter meat dishes.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Drink now,
Sourced from the Frankland River in Western Australia, from Frankland Estate, this wine embodies freshness and a glorious purity of fruit, reflecting the region's cooler climate. The characteristic salinity on the nose and palate is met by vibrant lemon zest and stony notes. The palate is poised; white peach and citrus layer with vibrant acidity and a touch of creaminess adds to the complexity of this classically proportioned wine.
Katherine Dart, Buyer (autumn 2018)
Katherine Dart, Buyer (autumn 2018)
Domaine du Colombier, Chablis,
Ready, but will keep,
Our 2017 Chablis comes from two separate vineyards in the village of Chichée, renowned for its classically steely character. The small but excellent 2017 vintage has given a wine with a harmonious balance between ripe orchard fruits and crisp, refreshing mineral notes. Fermented and raised completely in tank, this is a benchmark expression of Chablis, one which is equally at home as an aperitif or with seafood or a goats cheese salad.
Domaine du Colombier, Chablis,
Ready, but will keep,
The warm and luminous 2018 growing season has lent a touch of generosity to our Chablis. It is a blend of four different vineyard parcels in Chichée, a village renowned for producing fresh, mineral wines. Fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the wine’s crisp, citrus fruit and steely freshness, this classically styled Chablis is a perfect match for seafood and fresh cheeses.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will keep,
The fruit for our Pouilly-Fuissé comes from a number of excellent vineyards across the villages of Vergisson and Chaintré. Olivier Merlin’s skilful winemaking draws together the various elements to create a wine which offers generous peach and apricot flavours, underpinned by a crystalline thread of electric acidity, and rounded out by smoky oak and a satisfying, stony finish. An ideal partner for salmon quiche or cheese soufflé.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Domaine Patrick Javillier,
Ready, but will improve,
Our 2017 Meursault comes from a selection of vineyards from across the village, including the well-regarded Murgers de Monthélie and Les Clous. Raised completely in oak barrels to give smoky aromas and the hallmark buttered toast notes of classic Meursault, this wine has broad shoulders and rich stone-fruit flavours which are complemented by a racy, saline finish.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Domaine Jean-Louis Chavy,
Ready, but will improve,
A blend of 10 different vineyard plots across the appellation, our 2017 Puligny-Montrachet is a benchmark example of this famous village. The charming nose offers stone-fruit, white flowers and a touch of spicy oak, while the invigorating palate delivers crystalline citrus and tangy, saline minerals. Lacy, delicate and refined, this is a wine which is best enjoyed at the table, ideally with seared scallops or sole meunière.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
De Martino,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2017 Legado Chardonnay was produced with fruit from Limarí on stony volcanic soils with clay and limestone. The drought between 2013 and 2015 killed some vineyards and increased the salinity of the soils, which is reflected in the wines. And 2017 was a low-yielding year, even in young vineyards like this one planted in 2009. The juice from pressing the full clusters fermented in used oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, and only 10% of the volume underwent malolactic. It matured in barrels for 14 months. The whole Legado range shows very varietal, more so in the Chardonnay than the Sauvignon Blanc, with the chalky texture of the limestone soils. Starting with the 2015 vintage, this wine is produced with grapes from Tabalí. Great for the price. 56,498 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018.
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)
Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (autumn 2018)
Domaine des Deux Roches,
Ready, but will keep,
This excellent example of unoaked white Burgundy comes from our friends at Domaine des Deux Roches. Its fresh, citrussy character owes much to the north-westerly aspect of the vineyard, which ensures the grapes here ripen slowly and retain plenty of acidity. Winemaker Jean-Luc Terrier (a committed gastronome) suggests pairing it with shellfish, creamy chicken dishes or goats’ cheese. Drink now to 2020.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Drink now,
Le Mesnil is a cooperative located in one of Côte des Blancs’s greatest villages, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It produces Champagnes that are smooth and rich with fine acidity at the basic level; while the vintage wines offer a significant step up, with crisper, richer and fuller fruit that will develop a toasty finesse.
The nose is of brioche, butter, hazelnut and orange zest, whilst the palate is pleasantly mellow and balanced, the mousse is delicate and a lovely creaminess is beginning to shine through from the autolytic character.
The nose is of brioche, butter, hazelnut and orange zest, whilst the palate is pleasantly mellow and balanced, the mousse is delicate and a lovely creaminess is beginning to shine through from the autolytic character.
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
The vines here are relatively young, having mostly been planted since Olivier and Corinne set up the domaine in the late 1980s. This youthful vigour gives the wine an impressive freshness and fruitforward approachability. Fermented and raised entirely in tank, this shows the purity and vibrancy of Chardonnay, with a pleasant citrus bitterness on the finish. Drink 2018-2020.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
Olivier and Corinne Merlin have been established in the Mâconnais village of La Roche Vineuse since 1987. Over the years they have bought the domaine which they originally rented, built a new cuverie, planted new vineyards locally and spread out into further appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Moulin-à-Vent. Theirs has been one of the great success stories of the modern Mâconnais. They expect to be joined shortly by sons Théo and Paul. Having made his first wines in 1987, this year represents Olivier’s 30th vintage in La Roche Vineuse. It is fair to say that in this time he has contributed much to raising standards in the Mâconnais. Proof of his great skill as a winemaker came in the form of a bottle of 1990 Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes, a highlight of a lunch at Berry Bros. & Rudd in July to mark Jasper Morris’s retirement.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
Olivier and Corinne Merlin have been established in the Mâconnais village of La Roche Vineuse since 1987. Over the years they have bought the domaine which they originally rented, built a new cuverie, planted new vineyards locally and spread out into further appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Moulin-à-Vent. Theirs has been one of the great success stories of the modern Mâconnais. They expect to be joined shortly by sons Théo and Paul. Having made his first wines in 1987, this year represents Olivier’s 30th vintage in La Roche Vineuse. It is fair to say that in this time he has contributed much to raising standards in the Mâconnais. Proof of his great skill as a winemaker came in the form of a bottle of 1990 Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes, a highlight of a lunch at Berry Bros. & Rudd in July to mark Jasper Morris’s retirement.
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
This wine shows the quality of this excellent, chalky site. The nose is smoky and spicy, with a little oak showing. The fruit is rich and dense on entry, with some complex floral notes too, but what is most impressive is the tension and acidity of this wine, which finishes on a chalky note as though sucking on a stone. Drink 2020-2025.
Olivier is taking many steps to counteract the warmer summers and earlier harvests; managing the canopy to protect grapes from sunburn, using late-ripening rootstocks, reducing the amount of new oak he uses to keep the wines feeling fresher, and bringing harvest dates forward to retain acidity. The 2017 crop is around 15 percent down due to the dry summer which stressed the grapes. Picking began on 27th August and Olivier feels the wines are a little richer than 2016, but still with very good balance and well-integrated oak.
Olivier is taking many steps to counteract the warmer summers and earlier harvests; managing the canopy to protect grapes from sunburn, using late-ripening rootstocks, reducing the amount of new oak he uses to keep the wines feeling fresher, and bringing harvest dates forward to retain acidity. The 2017 crop is around 15 percent down due to the dry summer which stressed the grapes. Picking began on 27th August and Olivier feels the wines are a little richer than 2016, but still with very good balance and well-integrated oak.
Heritiers du Comte Lafon,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2018 crop was generous in the Mâconnais, but there was no negative effect on the quality of the wines – quite the opposite, in fact, in the case of the Mâcon-Villages from Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, which contains de-classified fruit from some of the region’s most celebrated vineyards. As ever, this wine’s calling card is zippy acidity and a citrus-fruit attack segueing into richer stone-fruit notes on the mid-palate. A proportion of the ’18 was aged for six months in large oak foudres, contributing extra complexity and texture. A luxurious apéritif, it also pairs brilliantly will all manner of dishes from tandoori chicken to salmon and asparagus quiche. Drink now to 2022.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Kumeu River,
Ready, but will keep,
The Estate Chardonnay from Kumeu River really is a go-to New World white. This new release has a complex nose consisting of fresh green apple and a touch of lemon. The palate has a subtle creamy texture with a crisp citrus core. With good balance and plenty of acidity, this offers such great value – everyone should own at least a case.
Felix Stubbings, Private Account Manager (September 2019)
Felix Stubbings, Private Account Manager (September 2019)
Kumeu River,
For laying down,
This wine is super delicate on the nose, with lots of minerality on the palate. Lime, fresh flowers and some slightly more exotic grapefruit character show off the vineyard’s limestone soils. Just under a year in old French oak is manifested in a subtle salted nut character and slight creaminess. It’ll be interesting to see how the wine develops over the next four to six years, but it is delicious even in in its youth. Drink now to 2028.
Paul Keating, Private Account Manager (September 2019)
Paul Keating, Private Account Manager (September 2019)
Penfolds,
Ready, but will keep,
With the addition over the past few vintages of fruit from both Adelaide Hills and Tasmania to the core from Tumbarumba, this has the feel of being a ‘Baby Yattarna’ in the way Bin 389 is seen as Grange’s little brother. There is a sense of precision to the lemony, stony fruit on the nose, alongside toast from the oak and a long, vibrant citric finish. This is proof that Australia can excel at cool climate Chardonnay at a sensible price. Drink 2020-2024.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
Located in the south of Burgundy, the Mâconnais is an excellent source of good-value white wine, typically offering a sunnier and fruitier style of Burgundy. Olivier Merlin set up his domaine from scratch in the late 1980s with his wife, Corinne. He quickly established himself as one of the best winemakers in the region.
Vibrant pale lemon in colour, this wine sees between 10 and 15% new oak during the élevage, which serves to add a touch of complexity and breadth to the vibrant citrus fruit. There is excellent concentration and a focused, mineral purity which shines through. Drink now to 2022.
Vibrant pale lemon in colour, this wine sees between 10 and 15% new oak during the élevage, which serves to add a touch of complexity and breadth to the vibrant citrus fruit. There is excellent concentration and a focused, mineral purity which shines through. Drink now to 2022.
Waterford Estate,
Drink now,
The fruit for this single-vineyard Chardonnay is sourced from some of the oldest vines in South Africa. The 2016 vintage was particularly dry and warm in the region, but thanks to the Helderberg mountain’s proximity to the ocean, the grapes could cool down at night and retain good acidity. This resulted in a wine with great concentration, lifted by refreshing minerality and a vibrant perfumed nose. On the palate, there’s an abundance of lime and stone-fruit, with a gentle hint of well-judged oak. It’s perfumed and vibrant now but will develop beautifully to 2021.
Stefania Masin - Wine Buyer
Stefania Masin - Wine Buyer
Chardonnay is the "Big Daddy" of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world. It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.