Chardonnay du Monde is a unique international wine competition judging the best Chardonnays of the world. Saint Clair Family Estate are thrilled to announce that the 23rd annual Chardonnay du Monde has awarded Saint Clair Pioneer Block 11 Cell Block Chardonnay 2014 a Gold Medal and admitted the family owned Marlborough winery into the list of the Top 10 Chardonnays of the world.
782 Chardonnays from 39 different countries were judged over a period of four days after which medals were awarded to 259 participants. The 2016 Top 10 includes Chardonnay from South Africa, Australia, Austria, Canada, chile, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Switzerland and New Zealand. the high number of entries means Chardonnay du Monde is internationally recognised as one of the most significant and ligitimate qualitative competitions for Chardonnay in the world.
This is only the second time in the history of the competition that a New Zealand winery has achieved the Top 10 list. Landmark Estate’s Earls Chardonnay Reserve 2004 made the highly regarded list in 2006.
The judges favoured wines with intense Chardonnay aromas and considered oakiness a plus when it was discreet and harmonious, but quality was marked down if the oak masked the varietal aromas. Saint Clair winemakers work hard to ensure that the French oak characters in Pioneer Block 11 are perfectly balanced with the fruit. Peach, coffee and vanilla aromas are followed through with a complex and full bodied palate with classic Chardonnay stone fruit characters and underlying vanilla creme and spice.
This distinctive mark of quality differentiates Saint Clair Family Estate, recognising outstanding standards and further cementing their reputation as a leading New Zealand wine producer.
