It was billed as World Class Chardonnay. At this year’s annual Australian wine tasting shindig, the organizers put on a tasting of 50 ‘World Class’ chardonnays, blind, only telling us only that not all of them were Australian, so that we could make our own judgment as to how Australian chardonnay showed against the rest of the world. Why? For one thing, Australian chardonnay is big business. Of the top 10 top selling chardonnays in the UK, the top four are Australian, Hardy's VR Chardonnay, Private Label Chardonnay? Jacobs Creek Chardonnay, Lindemans Sydney Cove Chardonnay. As popular as they may be, no-one would pretend that the top four are world class. So the aim of the tasting was as much to show that as well as brand Australia, Australian chardonnay has evolved into a plethora of styles at different levels of quality. How did they do?

Aussie chardy

Divided into three arbitrary groups aimed at a rough reflection of different styles, the groups were Crisp and Refreshing, Fine and Elegant and Rich and Complex. As expected, the first group contained the cheapest wines and from a quality point of view was the least impressive. The wines that stood out were a rich yet citrus-crisp 2008 De Bortoli Estate Chardonnay, Jacobs Creeks’ finely-crafted, burgundian 2005 Reeves Point Chardonnay and Punt Road’s subtle, juicy 2008 Napoleone Vineyard Chardonnay (not in UK). Jacobs Creek straight 2008 held its own, but I found France’s 2008 Blason de Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages, New Zealand’s 2008 Oyster Bay and Italy’s 2007 Felsina I Sistri unimpressive. So equally a number of Australian names: Andrew Peace FuturPak 2009, Lindemans Bin 65 2009, Brown Brothers Bankside 2008 and Ferngove 2008.

The Fine and Elegant section lived up to its billing. Batting for the home team, Cape Mentelle’s 2008 Chardonnay showed a degree of intensity, Giant Steps Arthur’s Creek 2008 Chardonnay, £17.80, O.W. Loeb, stylish opulence with subtle oak nuttiness and Kooyong’s 2006 Estate Chardonnay, £22. Great Western Wine, from Mornington delicate fresh melon and peach with an underlying sweet coconut icing oak. In the same category Penfolds Bin 311 Tumarumba 2006, £17.99, Waitrose, Tesco.com, showed well with its worked, burgundian complexity, Shaw & Smith’s 2008 M3 Chardonnay, around £19.99 Majestic, Philglas & Swiggot, Bennetts, also for its subtle complexity of flavour. The surprise package was the 2008 Shelmerdine Chardonnay from Victoria, around £12.49, Cooden Cellars (01323 649663), Henderson Wines (0131 447 8580) vivid, creamy-textured and delightfully pure and nutty. The best of the non-Australians were an excellent 2008 Hamilton Russell, £18.95, Noel Young, from South Africa.

Billed as Rich and Complex, the relatively delicate, zesty-intense 2008 Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Vineyard, £18.49 - £20.15, The Wine Library (020 7481 0415 ), Bancroftwines.com, and equally cool climate-style 2006 PHI Lusatia Park Vineyard Chardonnay, around £22.99, Dunell’s, Corks Out, belonged more naturally in the Fine and Elegant section. Hardy’s 2006 Eileen Hardy, £19.99, Ocado, Swig, Planet of The Grapes, mingled crafted, oatmealy characters with grapefruity zestiness, the 2007 Penfolds Reserve Bin 07A, £27.99 - Selfridges, Hailsham Cellars, Addisons, Avery's,was very complex with an intense, nutty, lees-derived complexity and the 2007 Vasse Felix Heytesbury, Margaret River, £16.99, Mill Hill Wines, Hanford, showed gorgeous opulent pineappley fruitiness contained in a complex, framework of nutty, layered flavours. They performed particularly well given genuine world class competition in the form of a fabulous 2006 Bruno Colin Chassagne Morgeot Premier Cru, £36.95, and a superb 2007 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, California, £46.99, both Noel Young. Overall, this was a brave and confident demonstration of Australian chardonnay’s, showing that in quality and style, this variety is by some distance its greatest white and hope for the future.anthonyrosewine.com

Something For the Weekend 13 March 2010

2008 Yarra Hills Chardonnay, Yarra Valley

With its green olive aromas and fresh, cool climate honeydew melon-like fruitiness, it’s well worth picking up at least a couple of bottles of this affordable chardonnay from Victoria’s Yarra Valley. Buy 2 = £4.99, list price £7.49, Majestic.

Under a Tenner

2007 Domaine du Joncier Le Classique Lirac

The time is ripe to pick up a bottle or three of this southern Rhône Grenache-based blend, with its spicy, heartwarming pepper and plum fruitiness and chunky, casserole-friendly tannins. £7.99, down from £9.99, until Tuesday, Waitrose.

Splash Out

2001 Viña Arana, Reserva, La Rioja Alta

Garnet with leathery age, this classic mature reserva rioja from La Rioja Alta’s vineyards in a great vintage is all game and autumnal bonfire smoke on the nose, the succulent palate combining sweet leather, almond and vanilla with juicy, savoury acidity. In November’s Reserve Red case. A real Christmas cracker at this price. £19.95 Berry Bros. & Rudd.