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For 7 years now, the fruit came from Gibbo’s Vineyard, high in the Piccadilly Valley. Located 560 meters above sea level, nights are cool and the days are fresh, making the region perfect for fruit ripening. Like the previous vintage it has all the hall marks of a great modern chardonnay. According to Halliday, it has great texture, flavour and length. There’s almost a chalkiness to the finish, but there’s plenty of stone fruit, green apple and toast flavours. Finishing with a gentle almond milk character adding that something extra.

Bush Chardonnay is an elegant and alluring expression of contemporary Australian Chardonnay. A nod to the past using traditional techniques including wild fermentation combines with modern winemaking style. Lively cool climate fruit with fresh varietal flavours of nectarine, white peach and grapefruit. Subtle French oak adds perfumed spice and a creamy texture to the mouthfeel.

Colour: Pale gold straw Aroma: Fresh, aromatic nose of lemon sorbet and white peach, honeydew melon with classic flint and a hint of reduction. Palate: Finely structured, elegant and delicate. Food friendly notes of brioche and cream are cut through by clean natural acidity. Well balanced and complex.

As a young winemaker travelling the globe, the 'Old World' Chardonnay that Ben Riggs fell in love with in the 1980's were described as 'like drinking cold chalk soup', and have inspired him to make this beloved Adelaide Hills Chadonnay. Over the years Ben has been searching for the perfect cold site to make a dry Chardonnay renowned for the purity of its aroma and taste.

The nose exhibits aromas of pear and citrus blossom, complemented by spicy notes. The palate is beautifully complex with pear, rock melon and lemon, followed by additional floral notes and a crisp, dry finish. Gruner Veltliner has found a new home in the cool southern Adelaide Hills where it produces white wines that capture both the old-world essence of Austria and the modern vibrancy and clarity of Australia. Vintage: The 2018 growing season started slowly, but warmer weather eventually helped to speed things up. Fruit set throughout the region was good and the low rainfall and warm weather from January to April resulted in great sugar development, while a cooler than average March offered ideal night temperatures for colour and flavour development. Nose: The nose exhibits aromas of bosc pear and citrus blossom, complemented by spicy notes. Palate: The palate is beautifully complex with pear, rock melon and lemon, followed by additional floral notes and a crisp, dry finish. Pairing: Try with a Thai chicken salad with a coriander and sweet chili dressing. Cellaring: Drink now or to 2022 Geoff Hardy's great-great grandfather, the original Thomas Hardy, first planted grapes in South Australia in the 1850s and was one of the founding fathers of the Australian wine industry. In 1980, Geoff left the then family company, Thomas Hardy and Sons, to make his own way in the Australian wine world. Geoff and fellow viticulturalist Ian Leask purchased the promising Pertaringa vineyard in McLaren Vale. A few years later, Geoff found the perfect location for producing cool climate grapes in the Adelaide Hills. He planted the vineyard in 1987 and named it K1 since this unique site was the first commercial planting of vines in the Kuitpo region in the southern Adelaide Hills. Three decades later, Wines by Geoff Hardy is made up of three South Australian wineries founded by Geoff - Pertaringa in McLaren Vale, K1 by Geoff Hardy in the Adelaide Hills and Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy sourced from a variety of premium regions across South Australia. These brands now make up Wines by Geoff Hardy and continue the 160-year old family tradition of pushing the boundaries of Australian viticulture.

RIPOSTE BY TIM KNAPPSTEIN The Katana Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

The 2018 Katana Chardonnay reveals a supple core of white stone fruit and citrus blossom overlaid with tempered edges of minerality. On the palate bright varietal fruit is guided to the finish with nuances of French oak and crisp acidity.