Chardonnay is the ultimate chameleon. Leaving it unoaked reveals its steely precision that tastes lean and electric. Give it time in barrel, and it becomes luxuriously rich and textured. And it is almost always a transparent expression of where it grows, lending each sip a sense of place.
Here are six of the best on shelf at the LCBO, starting with a gem from British Columbia.
2023 Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay, VQA Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Score 90
(Vintages 545004, $27.95)
This expression shines pale gold with creamy coconut aromas from subtle oak integration. Then, it drenches the palate with ripe, round flavours of pineapple and citrus laced with toasted vanilla, before delicate, stony-salty underpinnings emerge and linger. This seductive mid-weight wine is drinking beautifully now. Grab a bottle while it lasts to sip on its own — cocktail style — or to serve with sweet red pepper and shrimp skewers hot off the grill. Otherwise, tuck a bottle away to punctuate a special moment in the coming months. (13.5% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
2024 Joseph Drouhin Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis AC, Burgundy, France
Score 93
(Vintages Essentials 284026, $35.95)
With prices for Burgundy soaring, finding this beauty on shelf at such a reasonable price is a gift. It’s an unwooded Chardonnay with classical form that immediately clarifies why Chablis carries premium pricing. The faint fragrance of sea spray and lemon zest leads to an intense bolt of tightly wound vinosity — an intensity that’s felt as much as it’s tasted. Chiselled flavours call to mind brine and lemon, lime and oyster shell. Vertical structure, taut tension and real persistence define this wine’s compelling architecture. (12% alc., 2 g/L sugar)
2023 Chateau du Cray Le Cornevent Montagny 1er Cru AC, Burgundy, France
Score 93
(Vintages 49421, $47.95)
This is a wine for connoisseurs but will appeal to everyone. Each swirl of the glass releases shifting aromas of hazelnut and roasted pear, gunflint and toast. The entry is both rich and lively, engaging the senses with layered notes of apple, nutmeg and nuts laced with lemon, pastry and honeysuckle. This satiny, harmonious Chardonnay of considerable character tapers to a short, salt-chalky finish. It’s a bottle to sip slowly with good friends and maybe butter-basted lobster tails at sunset as summer draws to a close. (13% alc., 2 g/L sugar)
2024 Boschendal Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa
Score 92
(Vintages Essential 367698, $18.95)
The 2024 vintage of this barrel-fermented Chardonnay offers excellent value and is an easy swap for $20 Californian styles still missing from shelves. The scent is shy and tightly closed. But the wine surges in with a staggering amount of ripe fruit. Think sliced Granny Smith apple dusted with sea salt, cardamom, cinnamon and a touch of toffee. Full-bodied and soul-warming, this satisfying bottle is the quintessential crowd-pleaser that continues to earn its “Essentials” status in Vintages. Serve it with roasted chicken with a pan sauce and potatoes. (13.5% alc., 2 g/L sugar)
2025 Casella [yellow tail] Rich and Smooth Chardonnay, Australia
Score 90
(LCBO 627802, $15)
For those who like sweeter, generously oaked expressions, this popular wine is perfect — especially with versions from the Golden State unavailable. Each glass exudes vanilla-lemon pound cake aromas with more of the same on the palate. The zippy-tart, brisk lemon zing balances the creamy-vanilla and toasty-sweet notes to create a smooth, full-bodied sipper. It’s a style of Chardonnay that can polarize wine drinkers. But those who gravitate toward it, fully embrace it. Works especially well with slivers of nutty Gruyère and crackers, or creamy mushroom pasta. (13% alc., 11 g/L sugar)
CAROLYN’S PICK OF THE WEEK: 2024 Rustenberg Wild Ferment Unwooded Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Score 93
(Vintages 48202, $18.95)
For an exciting unoaked expression from South Africa, it’s tough to beat this bottle. Shining star-bright and pale lemon, the wine opens with cool flint and oven-fresh sourdough aromas. Then it rushes in racy and crisp for instant refreshment. That beam of light quickly broadens with juicy pear and apple, toasty granola and buttered bread. You could easily pay more for less. It’s a bottle to buy in multiples, chill down, then have everyone over for fish tacos. (13% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
