Chardonnay

Brilliant straw yellow with a greenish tinge. The bouquet shows typical varietal aromas of yellow pear, ripe apple, citrus blossom and a hint of tropical fruit. Fresh and harmonious on the palate, with fine fruit sweetness, lively, well-integrated acidity and a clear, dry finish. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves freshness and varietal character. An uncomplicated but honest Chardonnay with a Mediterranean flavour - ideal for light meals or aperitifs in the south. SUPERIORE.DE

Pale straw yellow with a greenish tinge. Ripe lemon, yellow apple, some white blossom and a hint of pineapple on the nose - typical of the variety, but pleasantly restrained. Fresh and balanced on the palate, with a delicate mellowness, lively acidity and a mineral finish. The ageing in stainless steel tanks emphasises the clarity and freshness of the grape variety. An elegant Chardonnay from the hills of Castel del Monte that impresses with its finesse, drinkability and regional identity. Ideal with antipasti, fish or simply on its own. SUPERIORE.DE

A name with history: Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, the bold 15th century general, once lived on this estate – piero della Francesca immortalised him in a portrait that now hangs in the Louvre. After the devastation of the wars, the Ricci family began to rebuild the estate in the 1950s; the entire vineyard has been certified organic since 2021. Battista comes from vineyards at an altitude of 150 metres, characterised by brown, calcareous clay soils. The grapes are pressed immediately after the harvest to maximise freshness. Fermentation and ageing take place in stainless steel and three months on the fine lees give the wine a subtle fullness without heaviness.

A Chardonnay that transports us to the Italian summer with the first sip: Fosche is like a morning light over Barolo – fresh, airy and simply lively. The grapes grow on gently sloping hills and the wine is fermented spontaneously in stainless steel to preserve the pure fruit and cool clarity. No wood, no masquerade – just Chardonnay at its most elegant and fresh. In the glass it has a light straw yellow colour with a silvery sheen. The nose opens with aromas of Golden Delicious and Williams pear, with delicate notes of orange blossom, citrus zest and a hint of apricot – all balanced on a fine mineral base. Fresh and lively on the palate, with elegant clarity. Citrus freshness and juicy fruit blend perfectly with a delicate creaminess from the fine yeast maturation, which lingers pleasantly on the long, sparkling, light finish. Light-footed enough for an aperitif, or just present enough to lift a spinach and salmon quiche to a new level. SUPERIORE.DE

Critone is one of the best-known white wine cuvées in southern Italy and combines the elegance of Chardonnay with the aromatic freshness of Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes come from well-ventilated vineyards around Cirò Marina, on calcareous flysch soils with a clay subsoil – ideal conditions for clarity and structure. The colour in the glass is pale straw yellow with a greenish tinge. The nose reveals green apple skin, citrus, some peach and fine vegetal notes. The palate is dry, clear and lively, with crisp acidity and a fine mineral vein. Maturation in stainless steel tanks emphasises the fresh, fruity character. SUPERIORE.DE

Chardonnay without wood, Zenato favours pure fruit with Santa Cristina. The grapes come from the single vineyard Podere Massoni south of Lake Garda, where 30-year-old vines are rooted in moraine soil. Harvested at the beginning of September, fermented at 16–18°C in stainless steel, then matured on the fine lees for four to five months. Straw yellow in colour with green reflections. Yellow fruit on the nose – apricot, ripe apple – accompanied by a subtle hint of hazelnut and flint. Full-bodied on the palate, but not heavy, with juicy fruit and fresh acidity. The finish has a fine mineral note reminiscent of the glacial soils. Versatile with freshwater fish, poultry or creamy pasta. Serve at 9–10°C. SUPERIORE.DE

Over a century of French tradition finds its South Tyrolean continuation in the warm altitudes between 350 and 500 metres around Bolzano. This Chardonnay comes from dry slopes and is not harvested until the end of October, allowing it to develop its characteristic ripeness. The controlled temperature control during fermentation and pure steel tank ageing preserve the natural elegance of the grape variety and emphasise its exotic expressiveness. Light straw yellow in colour with golden hues. Pineapple, mango and honeydew melon on the nose. The well-integrated acidity gives the wine its lively structure, while a pleasant fullness ensures a harmonious drinking flow. A versatile companion that shows its class both as an aperitif and with fish dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Full-bodied yet refreshing – this is how Peter Zemmers’ Chardonnay from the finest vineyards around Kurtinig in South Tyrol’s Unterland region presents itself. The vines, grafted onto low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, benefit from their favourable location in the valley floor, ideal sunlight and good air circulation around the grapes. The hand-picked grapes are left to macerate on their skins for a few hours in a cool place before pressing – a step that transfers the fruity aromas from the skins into the must and intensifies the bouquet. Following gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel tanks.

Appiano is the largest wine-growing community in South Tyrol – and the St. Michael-Eppan winery is its centrepiece. Together, 330 member companies cultivate 385 hectares on sunny slopes between 250 and 900 metres above sea level. What unites them is not just the geography, but the conviction that quality is created in the vineyard – and that Eppan offers the right conditions for this. The Chardonnay grows at around 400 metres above sea level along the famous South Tyrolean Wine Route, on moraine soils from the Ice Age – calcareous, well-aerated, with a natural ability to ripen slowly. Hand-picked, processed in stainless steel: fresh and typical of the variety.

After a break of thirty years, Federico Carletti has ventured a renaissance in recent years: Ambrae marks Poliziano's return to white grape varieties. This elegant cuvée made from ninety per cent Chardonnay and ten per cent Roussanne thrives on the clay-rich slopes around Montepulciano – a name that, like the winery itself, pays homage to the great Renaissance humanist Angelo Ambrogini. This composition matures exclusively in stainless steel without the influence of wood, allowing the mineral depth of the Pliocene soils to express itself unfiltered.

The Tramin winery, founded in 1898 and today one of the most renowned cooperatives in South Tyrol with over 300 members, vinifies this Chardonnay from vineyards between 240 and 500 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Ora, Tramin and Egna. The calcareous, loamy, gravelly soils and the marked day-night temperature fluctuations of the Alpine region give the grapes their characteristic intensity of flavour.

Volpe Pasini's Chardonnay has a clear focus: straightforward, juicy, completely focussed on freshness and varietal typicity. The nose is characterised by notes of green banana, white peach, citrus zest and a hint of white flowers – not a loud appearance, but a subtle interplay of nuances. On the palate, the wine is taut and animating, with a subtle creaminess, lively acidity and a pleasantly dry finish. No wood, no exaggeration, but a Chardonnay that favours lightness and elegance and is therefore pleasantly out of the ordinary. International format meets regional signature. SUPERIORE.DE

On the well-aerated limestone-porphyry soils between 260 and 380 metres, the world's most widespread white grape variety thrives to southern Alpine perfection. These medium altitudes around Andriano provide the ideal microclimate for Chardonnay: Mediterranean warmth with night-time cooling for optimum flavour development. The grapes are hand-selected, fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel and matured on the fine lees for six months, giving Somereto its characteristic creaminess and texture.

Martin Foradori-Hofstätter sees his Chardonnay as an expression of the South Tyrolean lowlands: clear, precise, without detours via the wood. The grapes come from the Mazon and Egna vineyards, where marl soils and the typical diurnal variation between alpine night and warm afternoon give the Chardonnay a natural freshness that no cellar master could force. Vinified at controlled temperatures, matured exclusively in steel on the fine lees until the point of optimum ripeness.

Merus – the Latin word for pure, genuine, unmixed. The Tiefenbrunner family has given its entry-level line a name that says it all: no distractions, no overlaying – just the character of the grape variety and the place. Chardonnay Merus comes from two very different sites that complement each other: Penon, Hofstatt and Rain at 400 to 650 metres, on calcareous dolomite soils with south-southeast exposure, stand for freshness and minerality. Margreid, Punggl and Kurtinig at the bottom of the valley at 210 to 220 metres, on sandy-limestone alluvial soils, stand for fullness and fruit. Vinified in concrete vats.

This is Stefano Inama's vision of a terroir-driven Chardonnay off the beaten track. While the winery enjoys worldwide recognition for its Soave Classico wines, this Chardonnay del Veneto epitomises the experimental side of the winery – and impressively proves that the volcanic soils of the region can also lend exceptional expressiveness to international varieties. The grapes come from vineyards in Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, where a fascinating geological peculiarity comes into play: this wine is the only Chardonnay cuvée from the winery that combines grapes from both volcanic basalt soils and limestone formations. This rare combination – volcanic lava meets sedimentary limestone layers – creates a complex terroir that gives the Chardonnay both mineral depth and structural elegance. Stefano and his now highly active sons Matteo and Alessio consistently refrain from using wood – the focus is entirely on the purity of the fruit and the expression of the volcanic terroir.

Margreid is situated in the southern Unterland, where the Adige widens and the climate becomes more Mediterranean. The Ora, the warm afternoon breeze from Lake Garda, sweeps through the vineyards every day, bringing with it the warmth that makes the Chardonnay from these vineyards so full-bodied and aromatic. The soil is anything but barren: white, broodinglimestone gravel with a high humus content – —nutrient-rich, water-retaining, with a minerality that gives the wine its name. Limestone. No further description is needed. Nals Margreid cultivates the Kalk Chardonnay on gently sloping hillsides in Margreid at altitudes of 220 to 350 metres.

Pale straw yellow with golden highlights – a Chardonnay that derives its character not from oak, but from its terroir and freshness. In the Colli Orientali, this variety reveals a particularly refined character: the high altitudes around Prepotto bring coolness and precision, whilst the chalky soils provide structure. On the nose, hints of yellow apple, citrus, lime blossom and a touch of white almond. On the palate, it is juicy, balanced and crystal-clear, with lively acidity and mineral depth. A Chardonnay from north-eastern Italy that relies not on gimmicks, but on terroir – authentic, taut and wonderfully unpretentious. SUPERIORE.DE

The vines for this Chardonnay grow on volcanic rock in the Pianezzi, Coveli, Molini and Palai parcels at an altitude of 300-750 metres. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Intense fruity nose of apple, banana and pineapple, with a hint of flint and hay. Open and round flavour with well-integrated acidity and mineral-sour citrus notes. It's like drinking a Chardonnay from a mountain spring. SUPERIORE.DE

A Friulian wine with a subtle French accent: Tunella's Chardonnay combines the purity of the Colli Orientali terroir with hints of Burgundian elegance. The vines grow on Ponca soil on a gentle slope, which gives the wine precision and structure. A light golden yellow colour with greenish reflections in the glass. White flowers, yellow apple, a little roasted hazelnut and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Harmonious on the palate, with a creamy texture, fine acidity and subtle minerality. A well-balanced, charming Chardonnay with a clear expression of origin and stylish depth. SUPERIORE.DE

This great Chardonnay comes from the Kleinstein estate in Signat near Bolzano. Bright yellow in colour with green reflections, a wonderfully fruity bouquet with aromas of apple, pineapple and banana. The typical flavour of a fresh Chardonnay on the palate: clear, elegant, full and pleasantly dry, with a long finish. SUPERIORE.DE