Chardonnay

The Chardonnay grapes for Lis Neris' Metodo Classico come from the historic Jurosa vineyard. After the first fermentation in 500-litre barrels, it matures for at least three years in the bottle on the fine lees and develops the nobility and elegance that immediately excited us. On the nose, notes of yeast, light stone fruit, limestone and minerals. In the mouth it is creamy and elegant, blessed with depth and at the same time great freshness, which one would wish for from many a French counterpart. Dom Jurosa is precise, cool and pleasantly dry in its overall appearance, which also makes it an excellent food companion. SUPERIORE.DE

Chardonnay is one of the few white wine varieties that benefit from ageing in barriques – both in the wine and in the distillate. Nonino utilises this knowledge to create a grappa that perfectly balances the character of the grape variety with the maturity of the wood. Fresh Chardonnay pomace from Friuli is fermented anaerobically and slowly distilled in Benito's copper steam stills. Then the transformation begins: the distillate rests in small barriques for eight to twelve months until crystalline clarity turns to warm amber.

Just like the famous I Sistri, the "Collezione Privata" is a single-varietal Chardonnay. Since the early 1980s, the former LitersGiovanni Mazzocolin had sourced some of his Chardonnay vines from Burgundy and so a micro-location was cultivated here until the 2000s, from whose grapes the carefully vinified "I Sistri Collezione Privata" originates. Bright, intense straw yellow colour with golden reflections. Delicately reductive nose of spices, peach and exotic fruits with restrained hints of vanilla. Creamy and full-bodied on the palate, the ideally balanced acidity gives it structure and the fresh juice combined with a mineral-salty note carries this complex white wine into an exciting and spicy finish of quince and orange. The clearly recognisable Burgundian style of this great Chardonnay will continue to develop as it matures in the bottle, not least due to the subtle barrique ageing. Very attractive at an even more attractive price! SUPERIORE.DE

The Chardonnay glass leaves enough room for any white wine with medium to full body. Even big, full-bodied white wines will show off their primary aromas superbly in this precision glass. The Superleggero series combines the tailor-made characteristics of the mouth-blown wine-specific glasses of the legendary Sommelier line with the consistent precision of machine production. Perfectly adapted to the individual types of wine, the high-quality glasses enhance every moment, no matter how enjoyable.

Gianfranco Gallo has a phrase that he always repeats: "Wine needs time to show what it is." This is not modesty – it is an attitude that characterises his entire winery. Since 1992, all Vie di Romans wines have only been released on the market two years after the harvest. The Chardonnay that bears his name is the most personal expression of this conviction. The vineyard is located in Mariano del Friuli on glacial gravel soils deposited by the Isonzo over thousands of years – gravel-rich, mineral-rich, aerated. The bora winds from the east create pronounced temperature fluctuations between day and night, keeping Mediterranean ripeness and Alpine freshness in a rare combination. Late harvest to achieve maximum aromatic ripeness. Control over oxidation from the first moment. Fermentation at a controlled temperature, nine months on the lees in barriques, then bottle ageing.

The grapes for the excellent Chardonnay Bastia come from high-altitude, south-west-facing plots in Monforte d'Alba, whose calcareous marl soils with veins of clay and sand provide tension and fine minerality. Pale straw yellow in colour with golden reflections. Yellow apple, pear and ripe lemon on the nose, accompanied by hints of white flowers, fresh almonds and subtle vanilla notes. Fresh and harmonious on the palate, with clear fruit, fine acidity and a creamy texture that comes from ageing partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in used barriques. An elegant, terroir-influenced Chardonnay from high-altitude Barolo vineyards with the very best Burgundy charm and great development potential. SUPERIORE.DE

A Chardonnay with a clear expression of origin and subtle noblesse: Paolo Meroi ferments and ages his white wine from high-altitude vineyards around Buttrio partly in used wood - enough to give it depth and structure, but without any intrusive woody flavours. The result is a wine of great balance. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. On the nose, yellow apple, ripe lemon, some quince, white flowers and a fine hint of vanilla and roasted hazelnut. Dense yet precise on the palate, with a smooth, salty flavour and cool minerality. The acidity is present but well integrated, the finish is elegant and accompanied by a slight spiciness. A Friuli Chardonnay with a Burgundian soul - focussed, multi-layered and far from arbitrary. SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Crivelli is one of the most renowned white wine vineyards in the South Tyrolean lowlands. Named after Count Crivelli, a leading member of an old noble family from Margreid, the Chardonnay thrives here on alluvial soils of fine sand with silt and clay deposits under ideal conditions. The special microclimate of this single vineyard is characterised by strong downslope winds from the Fennberg and the daily south wind "Ora", which ensures perfect aeration of the grapes. The marked day-night temperature fluctuations allow for a long ripening period with optimal flavour development. The vines are grown on low-growing rootstock and are trained using the Guyot system.

The vines from which the Chardonnay grapes for the Rio delle Rose come are over 80 years old. Fine, exotic and noticeably mineral bouquet of pome fruit, apple, citrus peel, white flowers, some flint and a hint of banana and pineapple. On the palate, it is driven forward, with beautiful pressure and juicy tension, then again this fine minerality in the further course and a very delicate, never-ending melt in the long, complex finish. Very balanced and big - with its subtle restraint and great personality, Rio delle Rose is for us one of the best Chardonnays from Friuli! SUPERIORE.DE

Doran is no coincidence. It shows what happens when French Chardonnay clones meet South Tyrolean limestone soils. The Andrian winery takes exactly the time it needs for this Riserva: twelve months in tonneaux, 30% of which in new French barrels. This is the Burgundy school in its purest form. The grapes come from the highest vineyards around Andrian, between 350 and 450 metres above sea level. This is where the calcareous clay soil is interspersed with white dolomite rock. The microclimate makes all the difference: cooler temperatures than elsewhere, longer ripening time, more acidity. Perfect for a Chardonnay with high standards. Cellar master Rudi Kofler favours full fermentation in wood. Regular batonnage ensures that the wood is elegantly integrated and never becomes dominant. After malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for a further three months in stainless steel – for a final balance between opulence and freshness.

In 1985, Lucio Tasca d'Almerita embarked on an experiment that was to become legendary. After an initial trial with cuttings from Burgundy, he planted five hectares of Chardonnay in the lower part of the San Francesco hill – at an altitude of 530 metres, facing south-east, where the Sicilian sun meets clayey-sandy soils. It was a time when international grape varieties were not yet officially recognised in Sicily, but Lucio followed his vision. This Burgundian journey to Regaleali resulted in a Chardonnay of impressive complexity. It matures for eight months in Liters French oak barrels from Allier and Tronçais, seventy percent in new barriques. The chalky sediments of the old river deposits lend it a mineral depth, while the altitude and Sicilian temperature fluctuations create the tension that characterises great Chardonnays.

A Chardonnay of great typicity and fidelity to its origins, grown in the cooler Colline Teatine. The 2022 vintage was characterised by balanced ripeness and pleasant acidity - ideal conditions for balanced white wines with structure. The wine was matured partly in large oak barrels and partly in stainless steel on the fine lees. Medium golden yellow in colour with a delicate straw hue. The aroma presents ripe yellow fruit such as apple and pear, citrus notes, some pineapple and light-coloured flowers. A subtle buttery note and fine spice in the background. On the palate, it is creamy yet clear: a structured texture with integrated acidity, a fine melt and light spice. The minerality of the soil is evident in the finish with salty tension and an elegant finish. Marina Cvetic Chardonnay 2022 is not an opulent wine, but a Chardonnay with expression and plenty of character. It combines freshness and substance, origin and oenological precision. SUPERIORE.DE

After its celebrated comeback in 2022, the follow-up vintage confirms: Linticlarus Chardonnay is back – and is here to stay. The selective harvest from the best Chardonnay plots in Entiklar, at an altitude of 300 to 340 metres in the immediate vicinity of the legendary Vigna AU, produces a wine of remarkable elegance. The glacial moraine soils with their high limestone content and natural salts characterise the wine. 12 months of ageing in barriques and tonneau lend structure and finesse without overpowering the fruit.

One of the really great Chardonnays from South Tyrol: bright, intense light golden yellow in colour. In the powerful yet harmonious Chardonnay Baron Salvadori, the aromas of fine vanilla cream and ripe fruit change in quick succession. Fresh and round on the palate, the accentuated fruit is accompanied by balanced acidity, a fine salty vein and well-integrated wood spice. SUPERIORE.DE

50 years of Grande Annata! The Grande Annata by Mattia Vezzola seduces you with a beautiful blend of ripe apples, pears, candied ginger and subtle nuances of blood oranges. This outstanding Metodo Classico from Lake Garda is both round and perfectly structured as well as vibrant with its bright acidity and salty minerals clearly taking centre stage. A hint of raw almonds and sour apples lingers on the final, along with a subtle hint of lime that literally tickles the cheeks. Every year, Grande Annata brut is a top sparkling wine of great complexity and with a wonderful arc of tension! SUPERIORE.DE

Satèn – the name alone promises what this Franciacorta delivers: silky-soft texture, reduced perlage intensity, pure elegance. Bellavista vinifies this exclusive category exclusively in outstanding years from pure Chardonnay from the higher vineyards that catch the first morning light. The 2020 vintage shows what Vittorio Moretti's vision of perfection means: hand-picked grapes, vinified in small oak barrels, then matured on the lees for at least four years in the bottle – time that you can taste.

"Pio di lei", for the ladies. A name that pays homage to the strong women of the Pio Cesare family. When Pio Boffa planted the first Chardonnay vines in 1981, it was a revolutionary act in the Langhe. Growing a French white wine here, in the realm of Nebbiolo, where Barolo and Barbaresco have reigned supreme for centuries – that bordered on heresy. But Pio had a vision: to create a white wine with the body, complexity and ageing potential of the great reds. The first vintage came onto the market in 1985. Today, almost four decades later, his daughter Federica continues the legacy and proves that the women of this family are not just namesakes, but creators.

"Ronco Basso" is one of the more powerful Chardonnays from Ronco del Gnemiz – and in the 2023 vintage it shows a particularly fine balance between substance and freshness. The lower-lying parcel near San Giovanni al Natisone, whose Ponca soils are rich in marl and sandstone, produces wines with denser fruit and a subtly creamy core. The year 2023 brought a changeable spring with sufficient rainfall and a warm summer that was challenging at times. However, cool nights in September maintained the tension and led to a staggered, selective harvest at the end of the month. The must fermented spontaneously in used barriques and matured on the fine lees to develop density and structure without losing its freshness.

Sometimes the oldest things are hidden. While the Chardonnay Sol, the founding wine from 1981, tells the story of Ronco del Gnemiz, the Corrado di Manzano has even deeper roots: its vines were planted between the two world wars, at a time when no one could have guessed that one of the most important Chardonnay vineyards in the Colli Orientali would one day be created here. The name honours a family member, as is the tradition at Ronco del Gnemiz: Dottore Palazzolo, Iris, now Corrado. The location in Manzano, exposed to the south-east, differs from the headquarters in Rosazzo. The soils are rich in organic matter and, despite their biblical age, the vines show enviable vigour year after year – year after year. Christian Patat takes a different approach here than with Sol or Ronco Basso: the must matures for ten months in stainless steel and wooden barrels, not exclusively in barriques.