"The aim here is to reveal just what the very best fruit from the team’s Kuitpo Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills can offer. This wine has the advantage of coming from the very fine 2022 vintage and the fruit is from the original plantings in their vineyard. Fermentation was in French oak barriques. Yellow/green in hue, there is a most attractive nose with hints of stone fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon curd and mandarins. Gentle hints of apricot skins lurk in the background. Balance is exemplary and the oak has integrated exactly as the team must have wished it would. The wine is fresh, offering exciting energy and good intensity. It is well balanced and has a long, lingering finish. The seductive texture will blow away lovers of top-notch Chardy. Enjoy this over the next ten to twelve years. Love it. 95pts" (Ken Gargett, WinePIlot). "It’s a wine like this that reminds us why appreciating the aromas is so important,…" writes John Lehmann in The Australian, "… because the sheer complexity – think oak, vanilla, cedar, lemon, straw and nuttiness – then makes the first sip even more powerful. The palate duly delivers, full of intense fruit, ripe mandarin, creamy vanilla and nougat and beautifully balanced by the acidity." Geoff Hardy’s great-great-grandfather, the original Thomas Hardy, first planted grapes in SA in the 1850s and was one of the founding fathers of the Australian wine industry. Geoff and his partner Fiona purchased an old dairy farm in the Kuitpo area of the southern Adelaide Hills in 1986 and planted out the first vineyard in the Kuitpo region.

Indulge in a Reserve-level Chardonnay from vineyards in Padthaway with a raft of high point scores up to 96pts. "…a most impressive Chardonnay from the Padthaway region." says Ken Gargett, WinePilot, and Sam Kim Wine Orbit is even more impressed, calling it: "Rich yet refined and alluring, the bouquet shows golden peach, rockmelon, brioche, and stylish oak aromas, followed by a concentrated palate exhibiting outstanding weight and depth. Wonderfully complemented by a creamy texture and fine acidity, making it harmonious and flowing to a long, seamless finish. At its best: now to 2035.96pts" (Sam Kim, Wine Orbit). "The Reserve centres around ripe fruit for its concentration and presence. Peach trifle, mango lassi and lemon curd. The new oak support is creamy and chai spiced, rather than toasty. The palate follows suit with a real custard middle palate, the richness of yolk and fleshy peach. A very edible wine and one for those that enjoy the curves and breadth of ripe chardonnay fruit. 92pts." (Shanteh Wale, The Halliday Wine Companion).

Indulge in a distinctive and distinguished Hunter Valley Reserve Chardonnay with scores of 95 & 94pts. “If you enjoy bold, intensely flavoured chardonnay, the opulence and intensity of the H10 block will delight. The wine is packed with concentrated peachy fruit, supported by creamy oak nuances. The mid-palate is expansive, with ripe stone fruits enlivened by a touch of grapefruit. Due to its intensity, it can handle a decent chill and pairs well with flavoursome foods. 94pts” (Toni Paterson, The Halliday Wine Companion). Sam Kim, Wine Orbit finds it: “Wonderfully fruited and complex…" with "… enticing aromas… and excellent depth and persistence… wonderfully harmonious and lingering, with an expansive finish.95pts" Established in 2009 by Bill and Vicki Widin, Leogate Estate once the prized vineyard of Len Evans, a pioneer of modern Australian wine, and is already a formidable force. Last year marked their 10th consecutive 5 Red Star Halliday rating, an extremely impressive feat considering they were established a little over a decade ago.

For 50 years Julien Bouchard dedicated himself to making some of the finest wines in Burgundy. In 1955, without anyone to leave his winery and vineyards to, he chose Albert Bichot to take it on and continue his legacy. A wise choice – Bichot has been rated Burgundy’s best producer of both the region's red and white wines and a number of their releases have become great favourites with our customers. This new release is crafted from grapes from the sunny Mâcon in southern Burgundy, lending lightly honeyed fruit and a bright minerality, with lees ageing for an extra layer of complexity. Rounded and well balanced, it’s one to serve in wide bowled glasses with white meat dishes – creamy chicken pie or pork casserole – or panfried salmon.

Savour a newly released, freshly landed, classy Chardonnay (with a hint of Gris) from premium vineyards in Hawke's Bay, a region recognised as one of the best 12 best wine regions in the world. Why Seismic? Well, Hawke’s Bay is the most earthquake prone region in NZ. Between 1845 to 2001 there have been 20 earthquakes at magnitude 6 or greater. Nicolas Culeme is a French winemaker with multiple vintages in both France and New Zealand, including working for famous Domaine Paul Mas in South of France. He settled permanently in New Zealand in 2017. He makes this beauty using fruit from five different Hawkes Bay Vineyards, much of the fruit from elevated vineyard sites. It boasts ripe stone fruit aromatics with a hint of toasty oak and flint. It has a lovely creamy palate with flavours of peach and nectarine.

Enjoy a 91pt Single Vineyard Chardonnay from Hunter Valley. “A finer style of chardonnay with a core of steely acidity wrapped in textured fruit. Assertive lemony flavours define the close, yet fade more quickly than expected. Aeration and chilling help bring the wine to life, coaxing out the fruit, harmonising the winemaking and vineyard characters, and balancing the savoury elements. 91pts” (Toni Paterson, The Halliday Wine Companion). Briar Ridge has been a model of stability, and has the comfort of substantial estate vineyards from which it is able to select the best grapes. Winemaker is Andrew Duff.

Enjoy a very pleasing Hunter Valley Chardonnay with scores of 93pts and 92pts. For Sam Kim, Wine Orbit its "inviting" aromas are followed by a "… succulent palate delivers excellent weight and silky texture, wonderfully framed by well-integrated acidity, finishing flavoursome and delectable. 93pts.” Toni Paterson writing in The Halliday Wine Companion calls it “A ripe style of Chardonnay with excellent energy and freshness. Juicy white nectarines and sweet lemon, with a touch of warming spice on the close. Simple yet satisfying. 92pts”. John Lemann, in The Australian notices: "… a prim nose of lime, pink lady apple, lemon peel and lemon cheesecake, then a palate of lemon sherbet, peach, orange pith and woody spice, means every element getting the chance to shine." Established in 2009 by Bill and Vicki Widin, Leogate Estate once the prized vineyard of Len Evans, a pioneer of modern Australian wine, and is already a formidable force. Last year marked their 10th consecutive 5 Red Star Halliday rating, an extremely impressive feat considering they were established a little over a decade ago.

“Paul Byron and Ralph (Harold) Dunning together have more than 65 years of experience in the Australian wine trade… a formidable partnership” (Halliday). Their Rags to Riches from Margaret River is elegant and complex. Andrew McPherson’s The Full Fifteen is a firm favourite, while Peter Drayton offers a delightful taste of the charms of Hunter Valley Chardy. Excellent value at $14.49 a bottle.