Xanadu Stevens Road Chardonnay
Bindi Kostas Rind Chardonnay
Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis
Defaix's Chablis comes from a range of parcels with different vine age and aspects. Aged on fine lees in glass-lined tanks, this is a textural, and uplifting Chablis rich in oyster shell and citrus notes and driving freshness on the finish.
Howard Park Margaret River Chardonnay
The palate exudes fleshy primary fruits, layered with nutmeal, lemon butter and brioche. A chalky, mineral texture and fresh citrus acidity continues the bounce.
Soumah Hexham Chardonnay
Of all the premium white wines we sampled last year; it was the Soumah Hexham Chardonnay that rose to the top. This top class Yarra Valley Chardonnay features the perfect amount of oak and a moreish creaminess. Produced from small single vineyard plantings in the Warramate foothills of the Yarra Valley, Soumah Hexham Chardonnay is brilliant now but patience will be rewarded if cellared up to 5 years if you can keep your hands off it that long. One of the real movers and shakers of the industry in recent times, Soumah is without a doubt one to keep a very close eye on. This is a super complex and extremely alluring example. Produced from small single vineyard plantings in the Warramate foothills of the Yarra Valley, outstanding fruit quality works hand in hand with barrel derived complexities. This complexity around a mid to full bodied core lends its self just perfectly to seafood with the traditional butter sauce accompaniment.
Domaine William Fevre Chablis
Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay
The Piccadilly Valley welcomed the Croser family back into the Tapanappa Winery with a typical cool weather vintage of exemplary quality. Stone fruit, honeydew and lemon zest, with spicy cedar oak in support. Medium bodied, tangy lemony acidity, almond and spice, firm and flinty finish. Its a wine of structure and coiled up power. Good now, but ideally needs a couple of years in the winerack.
La Crema Russian River Chardonnay
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.
Deviation Road Chardonnay
Aromas of white stone fruits, citrus and flint are complemented with toasted nut characters on the palate. High altitude sites product premium fruit with medium weight which is balanced with lively acidity giving elegance and a lingering finish. Hamish and Kate Laurie continue a five generation winemaking tradition. Devoted to the high altitude sites of the Adelaide Hills and with Kate's French oenology training the wines they produce are at once traditional and contemporary. With a fiery passion to create premium bottle fermented and aged sparkling together with aromatic whites that can genuinely cellar, their signature style is focussed, textural, restrained and balanced. At Deviation Road every sip reveals a little of this mystery; a taste of the terroir, a glimpse at the season, a hint of the science and a wink to the heritage that crafts its existence.
Garagiste Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay
Hand harvested, hand sorted & whole bunch pressed. Natural fermentation is on high solids with partial malolactic. Barrel fermented in 500-litre puncheons (20% new François Frères), the wine is matured on lees for 10 months before bottling.A bright & punchy Chardonnay; Lemon & grapefruit citrus. Sherbert. Spicy oak. slight lees funkiness. A good lengthy finish.