Of all the premium white wines we sampled last year; it was the Soumah Hexham Chardonnay that rose to the top. This top class Yarra Valley Chardonnay features the perfect amount of oak and a moreish creaminess. Produced from small single vineyard plantings in the Warramate foothills of the Yarra Valley, Soumah Hexham Chardonnay is brilliant now but patience will be rewarded if cellared up to 5 years if you can keep your hands off it that long. One of the real movers and shakers of the industry in recent times, Soumah is without a doubt one to keep a very close eye on. This is a super complex and extremely alluring example. Produced from small single vineyard plantings in the Warramate foothills of the Yarra Valley, outstanding fruit quality works hand in hand with barrel derived complexities. This complexity around a mid to full bodied core lends its self just perfectly to seafood with the traditional butter sauce accompaniment.

This Yarra Valley Chardonnay was made from fruit sourced entirely from Medhurst Estate Vineyard. All fruit handpicked whole bunch pressed and fermented in French oak (10% new) where Indigenous fermentation in barrel lasting around one month. We decided to put one third of the blend through MLF to soften the natural acids in this cool and vibrant year. This adds depth and complexity to the pure stone fruit palate. The wine spent 5 months in oak before blending with full solids into tank. The wine was bottled with minimal filtration on August 30th, 2018. Bright pale straw with green hues, extremely vibrant and brilliant in the glass. The nose shows hints of grapefruit and stone fruit, both rich and flavoursome yet subtle. No real oak influence, but plenty of mealy, flinty notes. The palate is poised and powerful, showing off a benchmark Yarra Valley vintage. Again oak in the background it simply helps usher the beautiful pure fruit to the back of an effortless long and fine palate. This wine will look terrific over the medium term.

Coldstream Hills has been consistently producing excellent Yarra Valley Chardonnay for years and if anything it keeps getting better. Stone fruit and grapefruit characters are supported by creamy nutty oak.

Toolangi is a state forest just outside Healesville that was devastated during Black Saturday. The excellent vineyards remain, and continue to produce wines of personality and place. The Chardonnay combines varietal characters of quince and crab apple with some delicious nutty oak nuances. Its great value.

Pacha Mama has put down roots, out in the sticks, amidst the vines of Yarra Glen. This Chardonnay celebrates its Yarra Valley home. It's vibrant, yet complex. There's a bit of fruit, burnt matchsticks mingle with melon and citrus. It's all about harmony and balance.

Punt Road Napoleone Chardonnay is a lovely cool climate Chardonnay sourced from the Yarra Valley, this wine shows citrus and stonefruit aromas with a creamy barrel ferment texture. Layers of peach and citrus flavours and a crisp acid finish. Incredible quality at this price.

The De Bortoli Windy Peak Chardonnay is vibrant yellow with green hues, shows fig-like fruit aromas with barrel ferment characters. The full flavoured palate of melon and fig has great mouth feel and texture.

A fine example of cool-climate Chardonnay. Elegant and structured this wine shows the finesse of the Yarra Valley at it's best. A perfect white to accompany seafood and white meats.

Yarra Yering, well known for their pristine and elegant red wines, also make one of the Yarra Valley's premier Chardonnays. Made solely from the original 1969 plantings, the Yarra Yering Chardonnay is fermented traditionally in open top fermenters and crafted to age in bottle for extended periods. The wine goes through 100% malolactic fermentation which adds complexity and roundness without foregoing natural acidity and structure. Aged in 40% new French oak, this classic white wine combines intense opulence with finesse & textural flintiness.