Ahmed’s top Aussie Chardonnays

1 Tolpuddle Vineyard, Coal River Valley, Tasmania 2017 98 £46.99 Berry Bros & Rudd, Fine & Rare, Hedonism, Liberty Wines, The Wine Society Planted in 1988 and named after the Tolpuddle Martyrs who grew beer hops on the Coal River Valley vineyard, which now makes one of Australia’s most thrillingly mineral, tightly coiled Chardonnays. Mouthwatering flavours of whetstone, struck match, steely grapefruit and nectarine ricochet energetically all the way to the back palate. Great line and length. Drink 2019-2027 Alcohol 13%

2 By Farr, GC Côte Vineyard, Geelong, Victoria 2017 97 £64.25-£78.99 Christopher Keiller, Crump Richmond Shaw, Fine & Rare, Liberty Wines, The Fine Wine Co, The Australian Cellar, VinQuinn GC references founder Gary Charles Farr – but it could stand for grand cru! Vines planted on exposed slopes with loam, limestone, volcanic, clay and buckshot stone-strewn soils produce awesome power and complexity. Still, this is a thoroughly Australian Chardonnay, with ripped, muscular fruit, salty cashew and creamy almond, cut with zesty lime and flint. Plenty of phenolic, savoury chew makes for a compelling, resonating finish. Drink 2019-2030 Alc 13%%

3 Shaw & Smith, Lenswood Vineyard, Adelaide Hills, South Australia 2016 97 £49-£ 59.99 Carruthers & Kent, Exel, Fine & Rare, Fine Wines of Mayfield, Liberty Wines, The Australian Cellar, The Fine Wine Co, Vin Cognito Located in the cool Lenswood sub-region, this vineyard, originally planted for fizz, produces a pale, precise Chardonnay. Gentle lees-stirring sheathes the rapierlike palate of Golden Delicious, grapefruit sorbet and lime zest, with a hint of struck match. Ageing for 10 months in 500-litre French oak puncheons adds delicate vanilla nuances, allowing the crystalline fruit to shine. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 13%

4 Deep Woods, Reserve, Margaret River, Western Australia 2017 96 £ 35.95 The Vinorium

A pitch-perfect blend of two Wilyabrup vineyards with a small amount of Karridale fruit. Enticing aromas of grilled hazelnut, citrus and rock melon, following through on a vibrant palate, with racy grapefruit and lime zest lift. Long and lip-smacking, with subtle savoury nuances – a pop of fennel and salty oyster shell. Structured yet accessibile. Drink 2019-2027 Alc 13%

Leeuwin Estate, Art Series, Margaret River, Western Australia 2015 96 £75-£78 Domaine Direct, Hedonism, Jeroboams, Richard Kihl, Selfridges, Slurp, Taurus Wine Cellar Potent primary fruit, perfume and poise are the hallmarks of this long-lived classic – though thanks to earlier picking, less new oak and no malolactic, it has become sleeker. The expressive 2015 shows layers of heady oak, rock melon, dried pear, peach, pineapple, nougat and buttered popcorn. A relentless push of grapefruit acidity leavens and provides backbone and drive. Drink 2019-2030 Alc 14%

5 Oakridge, Local Vineyard Series, Willowlake Vineyard, Yarra Valley,

Victoria 2017 96 £ 27.50 Flint Wines Sourced from one of the Upper Yarra’s oldest, most prestigious sites: the 300m Gladysdale vineyard. Whole-bunch pressed directly to French oak puncheons and naturally fermented, followed by 10 months on lees. A razor-sharp acid line adds plenty of zing but there’s also zesty lemon and lime, with toasted hazelnuts. Arresting intensity, purity and drive; smart price too. Drink 2019-2027 Alc 13.3%

6 Penfolds, Bin 144 Yattarna 2016 96 £ 129.95-£ 151.67 Fraziers, Harrods, Millésima, Philglas & Swiggot Penfolds’ white winemaker Kym Schroeter ranks among Australia’s top Chardonnay makers. This incisive Chardonnay – a multi-regional blend from Tasmania, Henty, Adelaide Hills and Tumbarumba – has terrific precision to nose and palate, with impressive clarity and verve to its racy grapefruit and fresh-bitten, crunchy apple. Deft, spicy, praline oak asserts Penfolds’ polished house style without compromising the crystalline palate. Mercilessly mouthwatering, plenty of resonance. Drink 2019-2030 Alc 13.5%

Singlefile, The Vivienne, Denmark, Great Southern, Western Australia 2016 96 N/A UK www. singlefilewines.com Named after co-founder Viv Snowden, this top cuvée is only made in exceptional years. The family’s late-ripening Denmark vineyard was harvested in three passes, making for complex notes of citrus, custard apple and flint. An assertive, flavour-propelling backbone of zesty, limey acidity makes for great texture and line. Finishes long and taut, with salty piquancy and savoury green tea nuances. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 12% ➢

7 Cullen, Kevin John, Wilyabrup, Margaret River, Western Australia 2017 95 £73.60-£87 .99 Carruthers & Kent, Liberty Wines, The Australian Cellar This boundary-pushing biodynamic Chardonnay, picked on fruit and flower days, was naturally fermented in barrique, amphora and ceramic egg. Bay leaf, nutty and floral riffs nuance the athletic peach and pear fruit. Lively acidity brings levity and line. Still limbering up; should score higher in time. Drink 2019-2030 Alc 13%

8 Hardys, Eileen Hardy, Tasmania/

Yarra Valley 2016 95 £ 29.95 The Vinorium This beautifully tailored, cool climate, multi-regional blend is very complete already. Terrific flavour and body. Nougat, cashew, struck match and whetstone notes surround a powerful core of citrus and nectarine fruit. Barrel-fermented and aged in French oak for nine months on lees, with partial malolactic fermentation. Delicious. Drink 2019-2028 Alc 13.5%

Stonier, KBS Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria 2016 95 £ 34.99 Fine Wine Partners From the east-facing Merricks vineyard. Tightly wound, savoury style with lifted camomile and nutty, funky bacon fat and struck match. An exacting streak of acidity makes for great length. Fermented and aged for six months in French puncheons. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 13.5%

Ten Minutes by Tractor, Wallis, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria 2017 95 £43.56-£48.50 (2016) Bancroft, The Australian Cellar A lower ( 142m) site than sister cuvées Judd and McCutcheon produces greater flavour intensity and texture. Silky white peach and orchard fruit salad with matcha, lemon verbena, mineral and honey hints. Long, with a tapering lemony acid spine. Naturally fermented unsettled juice spent 10 months in French and Austrian oak. Drink 2019-2027 Alc 12.5%

Windows Estate, Petit Lot, Margaret River, Western Australia 2016 95 £44 HC Wines The Davies family’s flagship Chardonnay is a textural blend of 75% Gin Gin and 25% Dijon clone 95. Naturally fermented and aged in classy oak, it shows pithy lime, lemon oil, struck match and crushed oyster shell. Firm acidity lends precision and persistence. Drink 2019-2024 Alc 13%

9 Bird on a Wire, Yarra Valley,

Victoria 2015 94 £ 33 WoodWinters A warmer year and Caroline Mooney’s preference for more flesh on the bones makes for a riper (fruit and acid) style with white peach, lime zest, lemon curd, lemon verbena and nougat. An undertow of acidity brings definition and persistence. Well-structured with beautiful, balanced fruit. Drink 2019-2025 Alc 14%

10 First Creek, Winemaker’s Reserve,

Hunter Valley 2017 94 N/A UK www.firstcreekwines.com. au A contemporary Hunter Chardonnay, with tension and surprising levity. A touch of creamy lees and cashew gives seamless textural interest. Zippy acidity gives a long, mouthwatering finish. Barrel fermented for eight months on lees in a mix of French puncheons and hogsheads. Drink 2019-2025 Alc 12.5%

11 Lethbridge, Allegra, Geelong, Victoria 2010 94 £ 38.99-£46.50 All About Wine, Caviste, Corking Wine, Eton Vintners, Vin Cognito Rebenberg vineyard (planted in 1968 on gravel and quartz) gives dynamic phenolic grip, with compelling zest and heft of citrus and stone fruit. Whole-bunch pressed, naturally fermented and aged in barrel for 15 months. Shows the category’s ageability. Drink 2019-2023 Alc 13.5%

Sinapius, Home Vineyard, Pipers River,

Tasmania 2016 94 N/A UK www. sinapius.com. au Younger high-density plantings produce small bunches with great intensity of flavour and structure. In cool Pipers Brook, it makes for one of Australia’s more Chablis-esque styles, with salty oyster shell and a subtle tang to its oak-kissed white peach, cut with vivid grapefruit and lime. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 13%

12 Tyrrell’s, Vat 47, Hunter Valley,

New South Wales 2015 94 £42.30 The Australian Cellar Typical Hunter character, melon and cashew; but, though muscular, its fruit weight and oak are dialled down and texture dialled up. Sleek, with frangipane, almond, lemon, orange peel, mineral and porcini notes. In 2015, this was sourced exclusively from the sandy loam of Short Flat vineyard, its oldest blocks planted in the late 1960s. Drink 2019-2030 Alc 12.5%

Xanadu, Estate, Margaret River, Western Australia 2017 94 £ 14.70-£ 17.50 (2016) Buy Great Wine, Exel, Palmers Wine Store, The Fine Wine Co, Vinvm Glenn Goodall favours an energetic style and this packs a punch. Vibrant pink grapefruit, a core of green apple and pear; racy and intense with saline minerality. Aged in French oak with lees-stirring. A lip-smacking Chardonnay; finishes pure and long. Drink 2019-2025 Alc 13%

Curly Flat, Macedon Ranges, Victoria 2015 93 £ 29.17 (ib)-£ 38.99 Atlas Fine Wine, Define Food & Wine, H2Vin, Slurp Former bankers Jenifer Kolkka and Phillip Moraghan founded Curly Flat in 1989, with Burgundy as the inspiration. Savoury sourdough and earth notes balance ripe lemon peel, quince and bruised apple fruit. Drink 2019-2027 Alc 13%