RIPOSTE BY TIM KNAPPSTEIN The Katana Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

Medium straw in colour this wine by Sidewood displays lifted white peach, fig, pear and pistachio nuts on the nose. This barrel fermented Adelaide Hills Chardonnay offers superbly structured characters. It is tight and lean, laced with citrus lime and tropical fruit characters. Some lovely subtle complexities from careful oak maturation on lees include nutmeg, sage spice and pistachio flavours which linger on the after taste. A lovely crisp wine now, that will benefit from some short term cellaring once bottled. Serve with Asian style broth, mushroom based dishes or Lobster bisque is a great match to this Chardonnays complexity in flavour, but finesse in structure.

Penfolds Maxs Chardonnay is a tribute to former Chief Winemaker Max Schubert, a legend in Penfolds history. Pale straw in colour with green hues, this wine has a very nice textural and creamy palate with a soft line of acid fading ever so slowly to a distant palate horizon.

Fresh from Henschke's Littlehampton site in the Adelaide Hills, there are little squeaks of telltale bronze tones around the edges, then pears and almonds before a scoop of lychees and a mouth full of bright acids and herbal aromatics lolling around within its typical viscosity.

Lifted tropical fruit aromas highlighted by gooseberry and passionfruit. Textured fruits, nicely balanced with zippy acidity, long clean palate.