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David Bicknell is a Chardonnay perfectionist with a passion for terroir and contrasts in the characters of different vineyard sites. In the glass: Bright fine straw with a green hue. On the nose: Fabulous purity and lift with ripe, complex stonefruit combining with lees and struck match magic. On the palate: A complex funky monster! It shows tremendous depth and umami being satiny soft throughout with amazing refined power and balance and extraordinary length and persistence. Classy!

Attractive coppery pink in the glass. The nose has notes of musk, candied orange peel, fresh blood orange, sour cherry, fresh herbs and a slight Campari twist. Bitter-edged on the palate with that blood orange note, with musky pear, peach and strawberry fruit. It has a soft phenolic texture along with zesty tannins that add a pleasant grip. Finishes dry, clean and tangy. Engaging and moreish, with impressive finesse for this style of wine, and with a good volume of fresh fruit to balance the phenolic and savoury skinsy elements.

Pale and luminescent green in colour, the aromatics are intensely floral with notes of white blossom, passionfruit pith, white nectarine, lemon balm and jasmine. The palate is energetic, focussed and lithe with cascading layers of exotic citrus of kafir and finger limes, just ripe passion fruit, guava, green mango and hints of tangerine and lemongrass. The wine has a vibrant pithiness, lively acidity lifts the fruit and gives the wine lovely drive. A touch of oak adds textural complexity with the finish is long and salivating.

A complex maritime climate Shiraz with aromas of liquorice, blood plum, some warm cooking spice and a touch of oak are followed by a well balanced, supple palate with fine lingering tannins.

This Riesling by Lethbridge is Germanic in style, with fruit sourced from vines planted in 1982 at Barretts Vineyards near Drumborg. It is made using traditional German wine-making techniques, the hand-picked grapes were whole bunch pressed into tank for fermentation by wild yeast on partial solids. Fresh grapefruit acidity, underlying grapefruit, a dash of sherbet, some early bottle maturation honey and just a hint of ripe mango/peach fruit, all topped off with some yeast funk.

Aromatics of freshly cut pineapple and pink grapefruit notes, the palate shows subtle creamy notes and texture with refined minerality.

One of the most anticipated white wine releases each year, the Leeuwin Sauvignon Blanc may be small in quantities but is big on ripe tropical flavours and tangy acidity.

Since taking over the reigns at Cullen in 1989, Vanya Cullen has taken this esteemed winery to new heights including winning for herself the Gourmet Wine Traveller Winemaker of the Year honours along the way. The Mangan Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is the sibling to the Cullen Vineyard version and shares the same level of elegance and flavour precision. Add to that precision an added layer of complexity and texture on the palate and you have what many consider to be Western Australia's premier 'classic dry white'.

The aspiration of Oakridge LVS -- or Local Vineyard Series -- wines is to be outstanding expressions of single vineyards within the Yarra Valley. Local Vineyard Series wines enable wine lovers to compare and contrast the power of terroir and geography in winemaking. In essence, different grape varieties thrive in different soils, and Yarra Valley terroirs and altitudes vary widely. Oakridges expertise and understanding of the region allows viticulturists and winemakers to match a particular variety with a particular site -- with marvellous results. Almost all LVS wines are cellarworthy. The Willowlake Vineyard is just outside Gladysdale in Victorias Upper Yarra Valley. Planted in 1979 at an elevation 300 metres, the cool-grown Chardonnay here ranks with the regions very best. Add the skills of leading Chardonnay exponent David Bicknell and these hand-picked grapes become wines that express their variety and origin with consummate precision and flair.