6 chardonnays to chime with summer celebrations

With its flick of golden highlights and sun-kissed glow, chardonnay dazzles with its ability to be many things to one.

Versatile with varying styles… from rich and toasty, to crisp and minerally, to fun, fruity and full of verve, there’s a chardonnay to charm the pants off you – it’s just a matter of taste.

Food-friendly too, chardonnay can take on a host of diverse dishes – very good reason it’s on practically every wine list – and run the gamut from oysters to soft cheeses, to flaky white fish and roast chicken.

Moreover, summer is a sensational time to be drinking a glass of chardonnay…

1. Beachfront Californian Buttered Chardonnay 2023, California, USA, £9.99, Aldi in-store

We’ve singled out Aldi’s new listing because California is a goldmine for ripe, round, buttery chardonnay… which normally comes at a premium. Luckily, this great value white is within reach and more than delivers with its creamy tropical fruit and kiss of vanilla oak.

2. Double Check Chardonnay 2024, Central Valley, Chile, £11.99, Virgin Wines

Chile likes to turn its hand to most grapes and chardonnay is no exception. Made in a rich, buttery, toasty style, this has a nutty character with hints of butterscotch, succulent peach and pear fruit, with plenty of citrus snap and crisp acidity keeping everything fresh.

3. Les Pierres Partagees Bourgogne Chardonnay 2022, Burgundy, France, £14.99 (was £19.99), Virgin Wines

A beautiful Burgundy blonde, this is the style of chardonnay to buy by the case to have on hold… and appreciate as a delicious aperitif with mild cheeses – Comté comes to mind; or seafood in a creamy sauce. Ripe, round and generous with floral aromas, stone fruit flavours aplenty, and a hint of butter lingering on the finish.

4. Heggies Vineyard Cloudline Chardonnay 2023, Eden Valley, South Australia, £14, Co-op in-store

Lightly oaked, this is a lively, citrusy style with lots of energy and drive. On the nose, faint florals with enticing notes of lemon and stone fruits; on the palate, juicy flavours of green apples, pear and ripe quince, with lively acidity and a lingering grapefruit note keeping everything fresh and fruit forward.

5. Excelsior Calcrete Chardonnay 2023, Robertson WO, South Africa, £15.99, Laithwaites

Unadorned by any oak influence, there’s a crystalline purity to this crisp, flinty chardonnay – cited as South Africa’s answer to chablis. Notes of citrus combine with zingy green apples and yellow fruits; with plenty of concentration on the saline palate, a streak of minerality and zesty acidity on the persistent finish.

6. Waitrose No1 Chablis 2023, Burgundy, France, £18.50, Waitrose Cellar

Class in a glass, chablis is the pinnacle of chardonnay if you’re looking for elegance, a certain stony minerality and freshness. This own-label delights with citrusy, blossomy aromas, peachy fruit flavours, ripe acidity along with depth and concentration. Utterly delicious with crayfish salad or a slice of Camembert and crusty bread.