Dog Point from Marlborough in New Zealand have quickly established themselves as quality Marlborough producers with their range of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. This Chardonnay has lovely texture due to lees stirring and balanced oak influence. Hints of citrus still remain to produce a Chardonnay of versatility.

Light to medium-bodied, tight-knit with white peach, grapefruit, herb and mealy characters,well-balanced acid and a long fresh finish.

Palate - Light and delicate with a tight, fine line of acidity, leading to a long focused palate with a creamy texture. Rich autolysis characters of brioche and nougat lead the way with hints of citrus, almond, fennel and hay. This refreshing wine has a long, dry, crisp finish. Winemaking The Chardonnay fruit is gently pressed off skins with a series of press fractions going to separate holding tanks for later assessment. The juice is settled bright and fermented cold with a neutral yeast strain in stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation takes place, so as to obtain a finer, tighter acid structure. The wine was then bottled on the 23rd of May 2019 with a dose of active yeast and sugar (known as ‘tirage’) to encourage the secondary ferment. The bottle ferment lasts approximately six weeks after which the tirage sparkling wine rests in storage for four years gaining complexity from contact with the yeast lees. When deemed to be balanced and with sufficient autolysis character, we send the bottles for riddling and disgorging where the yeast plug is removed and the cork inserted. This wine was disgorged on the 7th of July 2020. Storage/Bottling - The unique nature of this sparkling wine is that bottling occurs as part of the winemaking process early in the wine’s life. In the case of the Georgette, the final disgorging and packaging process occurs four years after the wine is first put to bottle. Heavy grade sparkling glass, stylish labeling and the traditional white hood of the Forester brand complete the elegant package.

Louis Latour's Saint-Véran is a wonderful example of the fresh Maconnais style displaying a light yellow colour and a bouquet of musk and toasty brioche aromas. On the palate, this bargain French Chardonnay is rich and powerful yet still with a lively, fresh finish. Going through complete malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats, this southern Burgundian white is the perfect balance for brightness and complexity.

Houghton Gladstones Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful example of well established wineries in the Western Australian wine scene with access to some amazing vineyards sites within the Margaret River. On show here are marvelous aromas and flavours of bay leaf, black tea and some spicy mocha notes. Excitingly dense on palate with harmonious oak balance and impressive acidity. A brilliant wine.

After twenty years of applying his passion and expertise to the countless vintages for local producers, renowned winemaker Bruce Dukes has launched Domaine Naturaliste his own range of wines, named for the southwest region where he has honed his craft.

Pale, straw colour with insinuations of green. Overt, ripe varietal fruit characters on the nose - pineapple, citrus and nectarine derived are from the warm vintage conditions. Mineral characters, orange blossom and almond meal along with some lees derived creaminess are all balanced within this multi-dimensional palate.

The Philip Shaw No.11 Chardonnay is produced from high altitude vineyards in a region firmly claiming its rightful place at the table of great Chardonnay regions, Orange of NSW. A brilliant combination of flavours of citrus and honey dew and a great sense of minerality with a firm focus on low crops and supreme site selection.

This wonderful Chardonnay displays an intense bouquet of complex white peach, citrus fruit and minerally undertones. The palate is long, clean and elegant.

If you want to try the benchmark in this style then look no further than Pierro. A clean and concentrated palate of lemon sherbet and gooseberry with a hint of oak influence. LTC stands for 'little touch of Chardonnay' which adds the right amount of palate weight and complexity.