A fuller bodied single-vineyard Chardonnay from Gareth Belton. Amazing balance and concentration.

Rated 97 Halliday points. "Deep crimson-purple; whereas the '11 had to fight every inch of the way, this wine displays almost contemptuous ease in the way it has marshalled the layers of black fruits and ripe tannins that soak up the new oak inputs. This will be one of the long-lived, great Black Labels." James Halliday Wine Companion, July 2015.

Margaret River is a world renowned Chardonnay producing region and Pierro can rightfully stake a claim as to why. Incredibly complex, it is a tangle of fine-boned acid, lees complexity, pristine fruit and the most detailed use of good quality oak. Extremely enjoyable now, but will benefit from short to medium term cellaring.

A complex array of melon fig and cashew aromas is followed by a typically elegant and subtle palate with beautifully integrated oak. Petaluma had set a benchmark in Australian Chardonnay.

The citrus rind and grapefuit lead the palate to an overall fine yet textural journey. Cape Mentelle Chardonnay had this distinctive minerally line too, apparent with focussed refreshing acidity. Faint nuancesof soft nougat and cashews also add to what is a harmonious balance and an elegant and length finish.

The trailblazers of the Adelaide Hills have created another outstanding wine. A superb expression of modern cool-climate Shiraz; Shaw & Smith is elegantly spicy and brimming with supple red-fruit flavours matched by fine tannins. An absolute ripper.

Nectarine and white peach, textured mid palate, acid and oak to close.

Occasionally, when rare parcels of particularly outstanding Beechworth grapes become available, Savaterre's wine maker Keppell Smith likes to create something unique, like this Chardonnay, and bottle it under Savaterre's Frere Cadet (Younger Brother) label. These wines are created with the same attention to detail that goes into their premium Savaterre label.