Guide to Canada’s Best Wines 2020 – Top Chardonnay
Announcing Canada’s Top Chardonnays
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Category Overview by Michael Godel
To Canadian wine lovers chardonnay represents so many things, brings collective meaning, unites and ties the country’s wine regions together. That is why the most widely celebrated grape variety is the impetus for an annual homecoming every July at Niagara’s i4c Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration gathering. Is there a comparable grape that speaks of its origins in more varied tones? The WineAlign critics unearthed near exact parity in excellence between examples from British Columbia and Ontario, with one standout Nova Scotia exception. Québec chardonnay also impressed and while not finding spots in the top 20, there were examples everyone would gladly sip and drink.
No one said it’s easy to make good chardonnay. The endeavour is puzzling, like getting lost in a maze, fraught with wrong turns and dead ends. Fortunately, the top 20 Canadian chardonnays (and many more) have made good on their high-quality promise. Yes, chardonnay is always on Canadian minds and so a progression is continuously felt, of a dovetailing towards the cool and the ethereal. Andrew Jefford recently said “chardonnay when grown in the right sites can shoot loveliness about. It’s the litmus varietal.” Ian d’Agata announced “I really do believe Canada makes world class chardonnays.” True that.
Return to the complete Guide to Canada’s Best Wines.
The top 10 Chardonnays in Canada:
Quails’ Gate Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan ($58)
Leaning Post Senchuk Vineyard Chardonnay 2018, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($45)
Mission Hill Perpetua 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley ($60)
Tawse Chardonnay Quarry Road Vineyard 2016, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($37)
Lightfoot And Wolfville Ancienne Chardonnay 2017, Annapolis Valley ($57)
50th Parallel Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($56)
Mirabel Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($32)
Stratus Chardonnay 2019, VQA Niagara-on-the Lake ($49)
Cave Spring Cellars CSV Chardonnay 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the Lake ($30)
Meyer Mclean Creek Road Vineyard Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Falls ($33)
More top Chardonnays:
13th Street L. Viscek Vineyard Chardonnay 2018, VQA Creek Shores ($35)
Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($46)
Malivoire Mottiar Chardonnay 2018, VQA Beamsville Bench ($35)
Rosehall Run Jcr Rosehall Vineyard Chardonnay 2018, VQA Prince Edward County ($36)
Meyer Micro Cuvee Chardonnay Old Main Road Vineyard 2018, BC VQA Naramata Bench ($65)
Megalomaniac Reserve Chardonnay 2017, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($35)
Westcott Block 76 Chardonnay 2018, VQA Vinemount Ridge ($45)
Foxtrot Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($51)
Southbrook Laundry Vineyard Chardonnay 2017, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($35)
Thirty Bench Small Lot Chardonnay 2018, VQA Beamsville Bench ($35)
Henry Of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2019, VQA Short Hills Bench ($30)
Black Hills Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($34)
Trius Showcase Chardonnay Wild Ferment Watching Tree Vineyard 2018, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($37)
Church & State Coyote Bowl Series, Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($36)
Adamo Foxcroft Vineyard Chardonnay 2017, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($27)
Pentâge Chardonnay 2014, Skaha Bench ($28)
Nk’mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($33)
Vignoble Camy Chardonnay Réserve 2018, Quebec ($45)
Quails’ Gate Chardonnay 2017, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($23)
Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2016, Naramata Bench ($37)
Karlo Estate Chardonnay 2018, VQA Prince Edward County ($45)
Kin Vineyards Carp Ridge Chardonnay 2018, VQA Ontario ($40)
Joiefarm En Famille Reserve Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($35)
Westcott Reserve Chardonnay 2018, VQA Vinemount Ridge ($45)
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($34)
Kitsch 11 Barrel Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley
Organized Crime Limestone Block Chardonnay 2018, VQA Beamsville Bench ($21)
Therapy Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA, Okanagan Valley ($35)
Blomidon Chardonnay 2018, Nova Scotia ($40)
Noble Knights Mcfarlane/Heard Vintage Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Falls ($45)
Peller Estates Signature Series Chardonnay Sur Lie 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake ($32)
Sandhill Harvest Series Chardonnay ‘Harvest Twenty Two’ Sandhill Estate Vineyard 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($46)
Domaine Queylus Signature Chardonnay 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($25)
Organized Crime Cuvée Krystyna Chardonnay 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench ($36)
Redstone Chardonnay Limestone Vineyard 2018, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($30)
Leaning Post The Fifty Chardonnay 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($23)
Adamo Estate Chardonnay 2018, VQA Ontario ($31)
Baillie Grohman Chardonnay 2018, VQA Kootenays ($27)
Stratus Weather Report Chardonnay 2017, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake ($29)
Rosehall Run Unoaked Chardonnay 2019, VQA Ontario ($15)
Upper Bench Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Naramata Bench ($29)
Deep Roots Reserve Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Naramata Bench ($30)
Noble Ridge Stony Knoll Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Falls ($27)
Megalomaniac My Way Chardonnay 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($25)
Meldville Fourth Edition Chardonnay 2018, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($20)
Roche Falcon’s View Vineyard Chardonnay 2017, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($30)
Flat Rock Cellars The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2018, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($27)
Kitsch Chardonnay 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley ($27.70)
Icellars Chardonnay Icel Vineyard 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake ($40)
Laughing Stock Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($29)
Fort Berens Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA British Columbia ($20)
13th Street June’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2019, VQA Creek Shores ($22)
C.C. Jentsch Cellars Small Lot Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($41)
Frind Estate Winery Chardonnay 2018, VQA British Columbia ($30)
Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench ($25)
O’Rourke’s Peak Chardonnay 2019, VQA Okanagan Valley ($35)
Tightrope Chardonnay 2018, BC VQA Naramata Bench ($32)
Coolshanagh Reserve Chardonnay 2017, BC VQA Naramata Bench ($43)
Monte Creek Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA ($23)
Sandhill Chardonnay Terroir Driven Wine 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($22)
13th Street Chardonnay 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($25)
Rivièere Du Chêne La Cantina, Vallée, Chardonnay 2019, Igp Vin Du Quebec, Basses Laurentides ($24)
Tawse Sketches Chardonnay 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($18)
Redstone Chardonnay Bistro 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($19)
Arterra Chardonnay 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($30)
Meldville Chardonnay Barrel Select 2018, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($29)
Crescent Hill Estate Chardonnay 2019, BC VQA Skaha Bench ($52)
Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2017 ($37)
Nk’mip Cellars Chardonnay 2019, VQA Okanagan Valley ($22)
indicates the wine received a 5 star value rating from at least one writer.
Return to the complete Guide to Canada’s Best Wines.