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GAFFY AND NEAL Merricks North Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula

McHenry Hohnen is the quintessential family owned business with Murry McHenry and David Hohnen being brothers-in-law and the winemaking now being handled by David's son-in-law Ryan Walsh. With decades of Western Australian winemaking and selling history behind David and Murray the wines being produced are of utmost purity and subtlety. The Burnside Chardonnay is a relative recent addition to the range and is a funky, wild little number with attractive stone fruit characters that are balanced by a beautiful natural acidity.

A fine and quite flinty modern expression of Margaret River Chardonnay. Finer and leaner it might be in some ways, but the unmistakable power and persistence of the region still triumphs. Complex mealy grapefruit and roasted nut characters on the nose, and a deep and richly intense palate power through to the finish.

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.

Yering Station Reserve wines are produced only in years of outstanding quality. The chardonnay is prodominetly sourced from D block on wineries estate.

Hunting Hill is situated on the hillside just opposite the winery and produces beautifully floral and perfumed Chardonnay with a distinctly liner and long palate.

Olivier Leflaive was co-manager of Domaine Leflaive until 1994 before withdrawing to concentrate on his own venture which he started in 1985. Today the domaine produces wine from some 65 appellations with 85% of the production being white wine. One of Burgundys most respected producers the estate produces a number of domaine wines from its own vineyards alongside its range of negocé bottlings. This Chardonnay has aromas of white flowers, peach, grilled almonds and lemon peel dominate on a mineral background. The attack is full and warm on the palate with a lively and gourmand finish.

A fresh fruit-forward earlier drinking style, the fruit for the Estate Chardonnay comes from the densely planted Leongatha vineyard. Matured in approximately 20% new oak, the Estate Chardonnay exhibits vibrant ripe citrus fruit with subtle underlying toasty oak.

This Chardonnay has plenty of robust varietal aromas of stone-fruits and melon on the nose, which is well supported with spicy oak. The palate has a soft creamy mouthfeel while maintaining a tight structure that includes well defined fruit flavours of melon, pears and a touch of citrus acidity bound by well integrated French oak.