Lively and full on the palate, underlined by balanced, measured oak aromas. A delicious, harmonious, well-balanced finish.

Biodynamic. Théo Riesling comes exclusively from the monopole Le Clos des Capucins—a vineyard that takes its name from the Capuchin friars who arrived in the area in 1619—at the base of the celebrated Schlossberg hill. The clos is well protected from winds by the surrounding hills and walls. The soils are sand, alluvial pebbles and granitic gravel. The low-cropping vines typically offer up a supple and pithy Riesling that is wonderfully accessible when young—a reflection of these sandy soils. As with all Weinbach dry Rieslings, this was pressed as whole bunches, fermented without any yeast additions, and matured in very old oak casks for, in this case, 10 months.

PIERRE-YVES COLIN-MOREY, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune blanc

Sourced from dry-grown, hand tended vines in the north east of Victoria, this Beechworth Chardonnay from Savaterre will surely convince even the most hardened Chardonnay critic that modern Australian Chardonnay is of supreme world-class standard. Keppell Smith handcrafts a Chardonnay of utmost power and concentration that produces a length of flavour that borders on the immortal.

A fine and quite flinty modern expression of Margaret River Chardonnay. Finer and leaner it might be in some ways, but the unmistakable power and persistence of the region still triumphs. Complex mealy grapefruit and roasted nut characters on the nose, and a deep and richly intense palate power through to the finish.

With its distinctive yellow label, Veuve Clicquot is the enduring homage to the great Madame Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. Under Madame Clicquot's guidance, this famous Champagne house became a global phenomenon and a continued success story. A Champagne from the fuller-bodied school with flavours of buttered toast, brioche and biscuit to complement the ever present fine acidity and flavour length that is a trademark.

One of the rare Penfolds wines that is 100% single-regional, the Reserve Bin Chardonnay is sourced from super premium sites in the Adelaide Hills resulting in a fresh, mineral style that lies at the forefront of the modern Chardonnay style. A wine that will always be linked with 'White Grange', Penfolds Yattarna, it shows a palate of Granny Smith apples and lemon curd with a pure chalky texture.

Taking its name from the Capuchin friars who arrived in 1619, the Clos is protected from winds by the surrounding hills and by the walls enclosing it. The soils here consist of sand, alluvial pebbles and granitic gravel and this produces a Riesling as zippy, zesty and mineral-driven as it is fleshy. White peach, green and yellow citrus along with melon, kaffir lime and lemongrass notes. Lovely texture and a vibrant, fresh finish.