Prescient Fund Services Chardonnay Report 2025: Top 10
By Christian Eedes, 17 October 2025
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Introduction
This year’s Chardonnay Report convened by Winemag.co.za and sponsored by Prescient Fund Services is now out. There were 76 entries from 56 producers and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by a three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale.
Top 10
The 10 best wines overall are as follows:
96 – Best Overall
Neil Ellis Whitehall 2022 (Best Overall)
Price: R370
Wine of Origin: Elgin
Abv: 13%
Winner of a FermTech Solutions organic fermentation kit worth approximately R10 000.
96
Neil Ellis Whitehall 2023
Price: R370
Wine of Origin: Elgin
Abv: 12%
95
Boschendal Appellation Series Elgin 2023
Price: R570
Wine of Origin: Elgin
Abv: 13.5%
95
Delaire Graff Banghoek 2024
Price: R420
Wine of Origin: Banghoek
Abv: 13.53%
95
Groot Constantia 2024
Price: R400
Wine of Origin: Constantia
Abv: 13.73%
94
Blaauwklippen 2024
Price: R216
Wine of Origin: Stellenbosch
Abv: 13.7%
94
Creation Glenn’s 2024
Price: R976
Wine of Origin: Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, Walker Bay
Abv: 13%
94
Creation The Art of 2024
Price: R976
Wine of Origin: Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
Abv: 13%
94
Delaire Graff Terraced Block 2024
Price: R1 276
Wine of Origin: Banghoek
Abv: 13.7%
94
La Motte Reserve Collection 2024
Wine of Origin: Franschhoek
Total production: 30 000 bottles
Abv: 12.83%
Shop online
Online wine shop Getwine is offering all of the top wines for sale – buy wine.
About Chardonnay
Chardonnay is widely planted throughout the world but its traditional home is Burgundy in the east of France, and it fares particularly well in the Côte de Beaune and Chablis where it thrives on the predominantly chalky soils.
It’s relatively easy to grow and winemakers love it for how readily it responds to a variety of techniques. As to what constitutes a good example is hard to define clearly, however. It can vary in colour from very pale to pronounced straw-yellow while it can be steely dry to rather rich and full on the palate. Flavours are often subtle and understated and yet beguiling.
In South Africa, Chardonnay is the seventh most widely planted variety overall, making up 7.6% of the total area under vineyard at the end of 2024.
What does top Chardonnay go for?
The average price of the 49 wines to rate 90-plus is R355 a bottle and of the Top 10 is R575.
Best buy
Offering the best quality relative to price is Durbanville Hills 2024 with a rating of 92 and selling for R100 a bottle.
Peach, citrus and floral perfume on the nose. The palate is linear and understated with pure fruit and fresh acidity before a pithy finish.
In-depth analysis
To read the report in full, including key findings, tasting notes for the top wines, buying guide (wines ranked by quality relative to price) and scores on the 100-point quality scale for all wines entered, download the following: Prescient Fund Services Chardonnay Report 2025
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