The World's Best Chardonnay According To The 2025 Decanter World Wine

Forbes

a day ago

Two glasses of Chardonnay wine with cheese getty
Ten Chardonnay still wines took top honors at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards. Two wines were awarded Best in Show, and eight received Platinum Medals. All ten wines received a score of 97/100 points. The DWWA is the largest wine competition globally and is considered one of the most prestigious in the world. Over 18,000 wines were entered in the recently completed 2025 judging. Here is a brief overview and tasting note for each of these wines. The indicated prices are the US average per Winesearcher.com.
A leading Domaine in Chablis, Jean‑Marc Brocard farms organically on Grand Cru slopes. The Bougros cuvée is produced from Chablis' classic, chalky, limestone-rich soils and is aged without oak, emphasizing purity and minerality.
The wine features aromas of white flowers, crisp green apple, lemon zest, and Chablis' trademark wet stone and flinty minerality. It's taut and focused on the palate, with pronounced acidity that showcases flavors of citrus, orchard fruit notes of apple, a hint of pear, and a distinct mineral note reminiscent of gun flint. The finish is long and tight with lingering notes of lemon and a tangy, wet stone minerality.
Founded in 1985 near McLaren Vale, Wirra Wirra's high-altitude 12th Man cuvée is fermented in French oak with lees stirring. Named in tribute to their cricket-loving founder, it marries fruit purity with textured winemaking.
The wine features aromas of peach, nectarine, lemon curd, cedar, and seasoned oak. It's creamy, citrus-forward, and smooth on the palate, with a brisk acidity and showcasing flavors of grapefruit, assorted stone fruits, and a chalky minerality. The finish is long and elegant, with lingering notes of citrus and stone fruit, and a hint of salinity.
France, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, Burgundy, Cote-d'Or. Golden vineyards in Autumn, Chablis getty Chardonnay Wine Platinum Medal Winners Bemberg Estate Wines, La Linterna 'El Tomillo' 2023 Estate Chardonnay, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Argentina, 13.5% ABV, 750 ml. $100
Family-owned Bemberg Estate specializes in single-plot winemaking from high-elevation vineyards. Planted in 1998, the El Tomillo parcel features sandy-calcareous soils and yields vibrant, terroir-driven Chardonnay.
The wine features aromas of citrus blossoms and white flowers, hints of tropical fruit, and a subtle saline/savory note. It's bright and creamy on the palate, with pronounced acidity that showcases tangy lemon and lime notes, as well as the layered complexity that comes from extended aging on the lees. The finish is long, focused, and chalky with lingering notes of crisp fruit and a taut minerality. Brokenwood, 2023 Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay, Beechworth, Victoria, Australia, 13% ABV, $40.
Brokenwood, an esteemed Hunter Valley winery in New South Wales, crafts cool-climate Chardonnay from the Indigo vineyard in historic Beechworth. The wine features complexity and elegance and is widely considered among Australia's top Chardonnay wines.
The wine features aromas of peach, nectarine, almond nougat, and crushed wet stone. It's fruity and creamy on the palate, with brisk acidity that showcases flavors of orchard and stone fruit, lemon pith, and light oak spices. The finish is long and tangy with lingering notes of fruit and a slight mineral salinity. Deep Woods Estate, 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia, 13% ABV, 750 ml. $35
Deep Woods Estate is a benchmark winery in the Margaret River region. It produces its flagship 'Reserve' cuvée from gravelly loam soils and matures it in French oak casks.
The wine features flavors of citrus, white peach, toasted almond, and French oak spices. It's creamy on the palate, with brisk acidity and a layered complexity that showcases stone fruit, freshly baked brioche, cedar, and seasoned oak. The finish is long and minerally, with lingering fruity notes and a savory, chalky element. Domaine Prieur‑Brunet, 2022, La Maladière, Santenay 1er Cru, Burgundy, France, 13% ABV, 750 ml. $60
Prieur Brunet has revived the historic Santenay Domaine. The La Maladière vineyard sits on the slopes of clay-limestone soils. The wine undergoes a period of oak aging to balance its structure and elegance.
The wine features aromas of ripe pear, honey, baking spices, and roasted nuts. It's rich and medium-bodied on the palate, with brisk acidity and a discernible, yet well-integrated, tannic backbone, showcasing flavors of apple, pear, lemon, and a minerally earthiness. The finish is long and chalky with lingering notes of toasted nuts and orchard fruit. Château De La Crée, Les Gravières, 2022, Santenay 1er Cru, Burgundy, France, 13% ABV, 750 ml. $55
The Château produces precise, terroir-driven Chardonnay wine on soils of gravel and Garnier limestone.
The wine features subtle floral notes along with aromas of citrus, melon, and toasted almond. It's fresh and crisp on the palate, with brisk acidity, showcasing orchard fruits, newly baked brioche, and a subtle yet persistent wet stone minerality. The finish is long and tangy, with lingering notes of orchard fruits and a saline minerality.
Chardonnay grapes in Burgundy, Cote de Beaune, France getty Boyer Martenot, Perrières, 2022, Meursault 1er Cru, Burgundy, France, 13% ABV, 750 ml. $80
Boyer-Martenot is a small family-owned Domaine in Meursault, specializing in lean, mineral Chardonnay from classic 1er Cru Perrières soils. Perrières' is a name often seen in Burgundy vineyards, signifying stony soils that are rich in limestone.
The wine features aromas of hazelnut, citrus oil, honeycomb, and a persistent wet stone minerality. It's medium-bodied and flinty on the palate, with a brisk acidity, showcasing flavors of lemon curd, almond, and seasoned French oak. The finish is long, layered, and elegant, with lingering notes of toasted nuts, a chalky/wet stone minerality, and a slight saline note. Cantina Kurtatsch, 2022 Freienfeld Chardonnay Riserva, Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy, 13% ABV, 750 ml. $30
Cantina Kurtatsch is an alpine winery in northern Italy's Dolomites, producing refined, terroir-driven Chardonnay wines. The Freienfeld Riserva is a vineyard-designated wine, aged in traditional, large, 1,000-to-5,000-liter, oak 'botte' and stainless steel.
The wine exhibits floral notes reminiscent of white flowers, accompanied by aromas of apple, pear, and almond. It's lean on the palate, with a crisp acidity, showcasing flavors of orchard fruit, almond praline, and subtle spices. The finish is long and refreshing, with a touch of sweetness, toasted nuts, and a slight minerality. Cupere, 2022, Faces, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 14% ABV, 750 ml. $45.
Cupere is a Sonoma Coast project by 2nd-gen vintners. It blends cool-climate grapes and barrel fermentation for "Faces," a layered, complex Chardonnay. Faces was the highest-rated American Chardonnay at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards.
The wine features aromas of ripe pear, Meyer lemon, sourdough toast, and vanilla. It's rich and creamy on the palate, with a brisk acidity, showcasing flavors of lemon curd, almond citrus, orchard fruits, and a 'leesy', slightly lactic texture. The finish is long and silky, with lingering notes of citrus and oak spice.
This elite group of award-winning Chardonnays reflects the breadth of global excellence in winemaking—from Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy to high-elevation sites in Argentina, as well as iconic Australian and Californian terroirs.
With prices ranging from $25 to $100, they offer a balance of luxury and accessibility. Whether you prefer lean minerality or creamy richness, these wines offer a world-class tour of what Chardonnay can achieve in the hands of dedicated growers and winemakers. More From Forbes Forbes Why You Should Try Argentina's World-Class Chardonnay Wine By Joseph V Micallef Forbes Finesse And Terroir: Oregon's Sparkling Wines Shine At Method Oregon By Joseph V Micallef Forbes The Top Chardonnay, According To The 2024 San Francisco International Wine Competition By Joseph V Micallef