This Chardonnay has plenty of robust varietal aromas of stone-fruits and melon on the nose, which is well supported with spicy oak. The palate has a soft creamy mouthfeel while maintaining a tight structure that includes well defined fruit flavours of melon, pears and a touch of citrus acidity bound by well integrated French oak.

Located in a protected valley, Tarraford Vineyard is cooler than its neighbouring sites. A bright and fruit-driven Chardonnay, expect citrus and tropical fruit aromas of orange, pineapple and passion fruit on the nose. A medium bodied wine on the palate, it's delicate and fresh with tropical and citrus flavours. You'll be surprised by its creamy texture and refreshing acidity which supports the lingering tropical flavours through the long finish. 'Winemaker Steve Flamsteed's chardonnays are Yarra benchmarks. This has syrupy white peach, grapefruit, herb and mealy aromas that build in the mouth, finishing long and stylish.' - Score 94 Value Good. - Age, Melbourne, 27 Aug 2013, by Ralph Kyte-Powell. Gold Medal | Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2014.

WinemakingAll fruit was hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed. The cuvee taille (first cut free-run juice) was settled naturally overnight prior to racking to a mix of stainless steel tank and large format old barrels for fermentation.Fermented and aged separately in small batch lots on settled lees for nine months. The blended wine then underwent secondary fermentation in the bottle. This wine has been aged for an extended period on its autolysing yeast lees for more than four years to garner richness and complexity to its innate elegance and finesse.Winemaker's notesThe protracted growing season allowed a drawn-out ripening, resulting in an uncommon richness of flavour tempered by the abundant natural acidity contributed by the season.A bouquet of nashi pear, glazed brioche, lemon cheesecake and Amaretti buscuit. Flavours of nougat, lemon rind, jasmine and chestnut underpin a palate of steely acidity with delicated bubble, fruit weight and earthy 'sur lie' characters providing textural accompaniement, richness and creaminess to the finish. An excellent match for freshly-shucked oysters or semi-hard cow's milk cheeses.

FABIEN COCHE, Bourgogne Chardonnay Grandes Coutures

Domaine du Roc Des Boutires En Bertilionne , Pouilly-Fuissé The fruit is sourced exclusively from En Bertilionne, located in the southern end of Burgundy. 0.57 hectares of limestone with shoals of marl, very deep chalk. The old vines (35-years), or vielles vignes, of Chardonnay are planted at an altitude of between 250 and 500 meters, which is quite high compared to other AOC Burgundies. The result is mature, well-positioned vines producing fruit that creates wines of complexity and freshness.

Aromas of meyer lemon, nectarine and jasmine. Flavors of yellow plum, dAnjou pear, tangerine and toasted hazelnut. Richly textured, velvety and concentrated with balanced acidity and subtle toast. The fruit was hand-picked, whole cluster pressed and settled for twenty four hours before being racked to barrel for fermentation. Fifteen percent of the lot was co-inoculated with a house strain of malolactic bacteria; these barrels were then used to top the remainder of the lot during post primary fermentation. The lees were stirred 1-2 times per month and the wine was aged for nine months. Over 30 years of experience working with chardonnay and pinot noir have established La Crema as a winery of consistent quality. La Crema produces wines from top cool-climate appellations to include; Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Monterey and most recently Willamette. The unifying factors of all these sites are their cool, windy climates and marine-based soils. La Crema's vineyards are all harvested by hand in the cooler morning hours. The winemaking techniques are primarily traditional with modern enhancements to ensure that the wines are true to both the variety and the terroir. Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed and fermented and aged in French oak on the lees with bi-monthly battonage to add texture and complexity. The Pinot Noirs are cold soaked for five to eight days before fermentation in small, open-top fermenters and aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels. As with the Chardonnay, La Crema's Pinot Noirs are pure, accurate and reflective of their origin. Outstanding vineyard sources, limited yields and artisanal wine making produce wines that receive high acclaim.