Domaine Laroche, Les Chanoines Chablis A.C. Michel Laroche is the fifth generation of his family to grow Chardonnay grapes and/or make fine Chardonnay wine in the village where he was born and bred. You could say he has Chablis running in his veins.

This is one of the finest Chardonnays produced in Australia. Sourced from vineyards in the High Eden, Mountadam's Chardonnay expresses fruit of peach, nectarine and nashi pear with undertones of spice and nutmeg. A true Chardonnay lovers delight.

The home of Semillon in Australia is unquestionably the Hunter Valley and Briar Ridge produce a Semillon that has lovely pale straw hues with crisp lemon on the nose and brilliant lime zest on the palate.

The grapes for this wine come from the Belford vineyard owned by the Elliott family, situated 15km north/north-west of the Tyrrells winery. The grapes were handpicked then lightly crushed before a relatively cool fermentation in stainless steel. After a short period on gross lees, the wine was racked and left to mature in stainless steel until bottling. The last of the semillon picked, this wine has a fuller palate commonly associated with the Belford vineyard, with great fruit intensity and a slightly higher acid intensity than normal years due to the cooler growing conditions.

Elizabeth Semillon was first made by Mount Pleasant in 1967. Named for Her Majesty and inspired by the first royal visit to Australia in 1954, its appropriate that age only adds to this classic Hunter Valley Semillons character and class. This really is something special- James Halliday on the 2010 vintage Grapefruit and cut grass greet the nose, and the palate is at once energetic and fleshy, a stream of fine acidity lending freshness. Elizabeth is built for the ages, and will evolve gracefully with careful cellaring.

The Italian grape, Fiano, is one of Australia's key alternate grape varieties. It is perfectly suited to the climate of the Hunter Valley. An unwooded style, the wine has intense varietal characteristics with aromas of pear and spice. The palate is perfectly balanced between fruit intensity and textural elements from the solids ferment, with a brisk acidity. A food friendly wine ready for immediate enjoyment. A rising star of the Hunter.

Indulge in a distinctive and distinguished Hunter Valley Reserve Chardonnay with scores of 95 & 94pts. “If you enjoy bold, intensely flavoured chardonnay, the opulence and intensity of the H10 block will delight. The wine is packed with concentrated peachy fruit, supported by creamy oak nuances. The mid-palate is expansive, with ripe stone fruits enlivened by a touch of grapefruit. Due to its intensity, it can handle a decent chill and pairs well with flavoursome foods. 94pts” (Toni Paterson, The Halliday Wine Companion). Sam Kim, Wine Orbit finds it: “Wonderfully fruited and complex…" with "… enticing aromas… and excellent depth and persistence… wonderfully harmonious and lingering, with an expansive finish.95pts" Established in 2009 by Bill and Vicki Widin, Leogate Estate once the prized vineyard of Len Evans, a pioneer of modern Australian wine, and is already a formidable force. Last year marked their 10th consecutive 5 Red Star Halliday rating, an extremely impressive feat considering they were established a little over a decade ago.

Pears, stone fruit and citrus gives way to a creamy, nutty middle and fresh acidity to close.

Continuing under the stewardship of Usher Tinker, the Pooles Rock wines go from strength to strength. The impressive line up of trophies and gold medals that adorn this label are testament to the purity of this amazing Hunter Valley Semillon. With all the typical austerity and pure lemon and lime zest flavours early in its life, this is a Semillon that will repay the patient in spades with more than a decade in front of it.

One of the best value Margaret River Chardonnays out there. Michael Kerrigan is doing an amazing job producing Chardonnays of elegance. Hay Shed Hill has delicate grapefruit and stone fruit flavours on the palate. And these flavours are matched with fine, minerally acidity with suble oak towards the finish.