Giant Steps plays it's part in the rapid accension of Australian Chardonnay back to the position it once held here. That being of the king of white varieties. This is a very stylish numbe from Phil Sexton and his team. Stonefruit, melon and butterscotch characters are supported by vanillin oak and the palate is long and textured with a clean crisp finish.

Pale, straw colour with insinuations of green. Overt, ripe varietal fruit characters on the nose - pineapple, citrus and nectarine derived are from the warm vintage conditions. Mineral characters, orange blossom and almond meal along with some lees derived creaminess are all balanced within this multi-dimensional palate.

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.

Nanny Goat is a Central Otago winery known best for their Pinot Noir but their Chardonnay is also exceptional. Its name derives from the fact that much of the country is rough, dry, mountainous and desolate – seemingly suitable only for goats. Apparently, the brand’s owner, Aussie John Valmorbida, was climbing up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown when the goat idea struck him. It is rather appropriate. Hand picked and whole bunch pressed to stainless steel tanks before being mixed and transferred to 500L French oak puncheons (25% new) with high solids. The wine is then left to ferment naturally with occasional lees stirring to enhance palate weight and texture. The wine underwent 90% malolactic fermentation, softening the palate yet retaining a fine vein of acidity for balance on the palate.

Sourced and grown in the Adelaide Hills, this is a fine example of how good Chardonnay from this region can be. This is a blend of 3 different cultivars of the Chardonnay grape. Bunch pressed and in part wild fermented. Partial malolactic fermentation imparts further complexity. A beautifully textured and complex wine.

A fine-boned Chardonnay that reflects vintage conditions and the character of a unique vineyard site purchased by Shaw + Smith in 2012. Inaugural vintage: 2014. Planted in 1999, the vineyard has east and west facing aspects and reaches 500 meters above sea level. The soil is brown loam over clay with some broken shale and stone on the ridges. The wine is100% hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, then fermented and matured on lees in 500-litre French oak puncheons (30% new) for 9 months.

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay is a reflection of its sunny origin, expressing intense aromas of peaches, nectarines, aromatic herbs and biscuit. A light entry of stone fruit becomes a slippery mid-palate that re-focuses to an aromatic and mineral finish.