20 Top New Zealand Chardonnays

New Zealand has made a name for itself first with sauvignon blanc and increasingly with pinot noir, but one of its greatest gifts to wine lovers everywhere has pretty much remained a secret. That secret is chardonnay. The wine that everyone loves to hate is being pumped out in delicious forms all over New Zealand!

I recently spent a couple of weeks in New Zealand. While tasting through all the pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and riesling, I kept being surprised by the wonderfully crisp, precise chardonnay that I was sampling. With a cool climate that makes New Zealand ideal for pinot noir and sauvignon blanc, it should come as a surprise to no one that the chardonnays also excel, revealing a ripeness of fruit matched to a nervous energy that just might make these the best chardonnay wines outside of Burgundy!

As always with notes like these, availability will vary. Some of these wines are not yet released or even distributed in the States, so please keep in mind that some readers may have access to bottles that others don't.

Click here for the 20 Top New Zealand Chardonnays Slideshow.

— Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth