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.

Beechworth has carved out a reputation as one of Australia's most amazing, yet largely unknown, wine producing regions. Castagna have crafted a Shiraz of incredible poise and complexity from an outstanding vintage.

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.

Lark Hill's Chardonnay is a classic cool-climate Chardonnay that displays the trademark white peach, melon and fig characters. Balanced with some lovely fruit weight is the acid length that is present in all of Lark Hill's wines. Using wild ferments and 10 months on lees in barrel, this Chardonnay joins the throng of great

Giant Steps plays it's part in the rapid accension of Australian Chardonnay back to the position it once held here. That being of the king of white varieties. This is a very stylish numbe from Phil Sexton and his team. Stonefruit, melon and butterscotch characters are supported by vanillin oak and the palate is long and textured with a clean crisp finish.

Felton Road Block 2 Chardonnay comes from a special parcel in the Elms vineyard on a gentle east facing slope, schist gravel soils and Felton Road's oldest Chardonnay vines. With natural hands on winemaking, results in a wine that expresses a true sense of place.

Mark Walpole (who began his viticultural career with Brown Brothers in the late 1980s) and partner Carolyn De Poi found their elevated north-facing site south of Beechworth in 1995. They commenced planting the Aquila Audax Vineyard in 97 with cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir, subsequently expanding with significant areas of sangiovese, tempranillo, shiraz, petit manseng and chardonnay. In 2009 they were fortunate to lease the oldest vineyard in the region, planted by the Smith family in 1978 to chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.

Hand picked low yielding vines producing a wine with increased intensity of aroma, flavour, texture and length. Hand picked and fermented with indigenous yeast and matured in French oak for two years..