Decent Chardonnay doesn't need to cost the earth – even if it's from Burgundy results from this year's Decanter World Wine Awards suggest.
Macon-Villages, south of the famous Cote d’Or, has been producing increasingly fine Chardonnays. The area’s impressive co-operative, the Cave de Lugny, has not only won a top gong for its 2010 Chardonnay but is also the best value for money Chardonnay in the competition. Retailing for as little as £6.17, it is certainly a lot cheaper than a similar quality Chardonnay from the Cote d’Or.
The new world continues to offer bang for your buck, and Paarl-based Glen Carlou’s Chardonnay 2009 at £11.99 is Decanter’s second wine in terms of quality vs price.
Fellow new world producer, Chile, is often referred to as cheap and cheerful. Some may baulk at paying £20 for a Chilean Chardonnay but Maycas del Limari’s Quebrada Seca Chardonnay 2008 represents money well spent, with the Decanter judges calling it ‘sleek, zesty, ripe, harmonious and fun’.
Just shy of £30, Louis Jadot’s Chassagne Montrachet Premier Cru 2008, the top white Burgundy over £10, also makes it into the top five top scoring, well-priced wines. Its ‘precision and purity’ won over the judges and it has lots of potential to develop further.
Written by decanter.com staff
