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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.

Displays classic Chardonnay characters of white peach, nectarine and fresh figs. The palate is fresh and vibrant with fruit flavours of citrus and white peach. Maturation in French oak provides subtle nutmeg and clove characters on the palate, while a clean slatey acid backbone provides length and structure to the wine. The wine is complex with no single character dominating the wine. The flavour of the wine persists long after it has left the mouth.

Penfolds Reserve Bin A is a cool-climate Chardonnay made from fruit sourced in the Adelaide Hills. The first vintage was in 1994 with the Reserve Bin A part of that new wave of Penfolds Bins that arrived in the mid 90s including the multi-region Chardonnay Yattarna and the single region Shiraz RWT. The Reserve Bin A takes its number from the vintage, slightly out of step with the Penfolds naming system. And thats a good thing as the Reserve Bin A is its own wine. It has plenty of Penfolds seriousness but its a Chardonnay, single-region and cool-climate. These days, vintage variation allowing, its a complex wine with (Michelin patisserie chef level) lemon meringue characters. Very expressive, pure and driven, the Reserve Bin A Chardonnay tends to spend more time on the palate than it does in the glass.

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.

Pristine concentration and complexity of favour are the hallmarks of Simmonet-Febvre, a revered maker in Chablis. Stonefruits and ruby grapefruit with grilled nuts, owing no doubt to Simmonet-Febvre's insistence on ageing their Premier-Cru wines on lees for over a year. Has all the zippy-freshness you would expect from a high-level Chablis.

Moss Wood Amy's is a bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes. Deep brick-red coloured, the wine looks bright when poured into a glass. Its nose gives off lifted aromas of mulberries and blackcurrants. These dark fruit scents are followed by white pepper, complex cedar & tarry notes, coupled with musky perfumes. The palate is dominated by juicy blackberry and red currant flavours that are accompanied by well-balanced acidity and firm tannins. This impressively structured wine pairs best with beef and venison dishes.

A concentrated dark fruit spectrum with an abundance of ripe blackcurrants, cherries and a hint of cassis. Coffee bean, dark chocolate and black olives lie beneath. Subtle dustiness combines with a seductive violet lift, enhancing the varietal fragrance and increasing complexity. A dense and layered palate with incredible texture. The generosity of the palate is carefully laced with a fine and structural acid line. Dark cherries and currants weave through smokey and mocha notes, finishing with long tactile tannins.

Houghton Gladstones Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful example of well established wineries in the Western Australian wine scene with access to some amazing vineyards sites within the Margaret River. On show here are marvelous aromas and flavours of bay leaf, black tea and some spicy mocha notes. Excitingly dense on palate with harmonious oak balance and impressive acidity. A brilliant wine.

This wine shows the style of the vintage and quite likely the impact of the small crop. In such years, Cabernet Sauvignon in particular, has a complex but somewhat subdued nose, where the wine hints of the underlying power and complexity but takes years to reveal its true colours. So here we see smouldering red currant, black currant and mulberry, with a floral, violet lift, sitting over cedar and tar. On the palate there is concentration and length - dark fruits combining with firm tannin and leather and tarry notes.