THE DIVERSE VARIETY
Take inspiration from these top chardonnays, which come with food-pairing ideas straight from the producers.
2 0 1 8 CL AI R AULT E STAT E CHARDONNAY Wine region: Margaret River, WA The palate is pure, tense and focused. Pear flesh, zest and porcelain-like tannin drive a message of true fruit expression. A lattice of fine French oak, granite and grapefruit to finish. What do you aim to capture in this style?
We want a modern expression of Margaret River chardonnay. This wine is driven by purity of fruit, poise and perfect balance. It’s hand-harvested and small-batch, and crafted to give you a taste of our highest-quality fruit.
How should we enjoy this wine?
The generous textures, verve and flavours of this wine make it a delight all year. We suggest enjoying this wine chilled in the shoulder seasons, with fresh seafood and shared with loved ones. Cellar for up to 10 years. $50, clairaultstreicker.com.au @ClairaultStreicker
20 20 F R ASER GALLOP E STAT E PARTERRE CHARDONNAY Wine region: Wilyabrup, Margaret River WA
Aromas of citrus blossom, white nectarine, lime, green apple, nougat and biscuity oak. Tight, flinty and rich in flavour. Sweet lime and a touch of nougat. Texture is gently chalky, and the finish has length and crunch.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
We want to showcase the terroir and purity of fruit characters of our vineyard. We keep winemaking artefact to a minimum, such as overt oak, high solids notes and MLF characters, to allow pure fruit notes to shine every vintage. We also pick early enough to not have to add anything to the wine. Virtually no additions are made other than sulphur dioxide, so it’s suitable for vegans.
How should we enjoy this wine?
It pairs well with seafood, chicken and vegetarian dishes. It's showing more generosity and richness than most vintages, so it can be enjoyed early or aged for up to 10 years. $50, frasergallopestate.com.au @frasergallopest
2019 LOWESTOFT
BEST BARRELS CHARDONNAY Wine region: Tasmania
A revelry of fresh grapefruit and citrus zest is framed by aromas of white blossom, cashew nut, toasted oak and baking spice. The palate is richly layered, powerful yet understated – a wine with a long future.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
As with all our super-premium range, we aim for purity of fruit, exceptional site expression and the ability to age gracefully. This chardonnay is a fantastic example of that. I love this wine’s combination of complex citrus aromatics and richly layered palate. We’ve held it in bottle for 18 months, and the result is spectacular.
How should we enjoy this wine?
Lightly chilled, the zesty citrus and roasted cashew notes pair well with a classic roast chicken or even porchetta with all the trimmings. It’s in a great space at the moment, and will drink exceptionally well over the coming 12 to 24 months. $75, lowestoft.wine@lowestoft.tasmania
2020 MEDHURST ESTATE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY Wine region: Yarra Valley, VIC
The nose is complex yet subtle with nougat and lemon rind, hints of white nectarine. Long mouthfeel of stonefruit and wet slate, mouthwatering acid and fine classy French oak spice framing the powerful fruit core.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
Our winemaker Simon aims to express the site and season in this chardonnay. He is looking for classic Yarra length. This starts in the vineyard with low-cropped fruit and finishes in the winery with minimal handling and keeping the wine fresh in the barrels.
How should we enjoy this wine?
This is a versatile food wine great with any seafood of your choice – Simon suggests it’s ideal with grilled lobster tails, washed rind cheese or even foie gras. It’s great with eight to 10 years of careful cellaring, or enjoy it now with good company. $44, medhurstwines.com.au @medhurstwines
2 0 2 0 B R AND’S L AI R A BLOCKERS CHARDONNAY Wine region: Coonawarra, SA
This wine has fresh fruit aromas of white peach, nectarine and grapefruit, backed by subtle nutty oak notes. Crisp on the palate, it is balanced with stone fruits and melon flavours, and subtle cashew oak and light creamy notes.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
Named after founder Eric Brand, one of the region’s original ‘Blockers’ – landholders who sold grapes to larger wineries in the 1950s and ’60s. This wine combines luscious fruit, complexity and elegance. The fruit was harvested in the cool of the night and immediately pressured to conserve the delicate flavours. After cold settling and racking, fermentation was initiated in the tank, then transferred to French oak barrels to complete fermentation. Regular stirring on less has given the wine a creaminess.
How should we enjoy this wine?
Drinking beautifully now, or cellar for up to four years. Enjoy chilled with grilled chicken. $28, brandslaira.com @brandslaira
2020 CL ARNETTE LUDVIGSEN CHARDONNAY Wine region: Grampians, VIC
After a year in the bottle, the wine has exploded with plenty of complex flavours; nougat, cashew, peach and buttered baked bread. It finished with ripe summer stone fruits on the palate.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
Each season throws up different challenges and we aim for freshness with complexity: the fruit and nuance balance. Chardonnay offers edginess with the extra sweetness of great French oak. Wine lovers want flavour and elegance; it takes patience to release a chardonnay when the right time comes.
How should we enjoy this wine?
With a strong almond-mealiness, this wine lends itself to many foods, including smoke salmon, caperberries and creamy feta on a brioche toast. With five years more age, it will need stronger foods like pate or terrine with walnuts. $33, clarnette.com.au
2021 T YR R ELL’ S ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY Wine region: Hunter Valley, NSW
Sourced from our iconic HVD vineyard, which always produces wines with a generosity of flavour for immediate approachability, but also great length and intensity, with the solids adding to the wine’s texture.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
We are aiming to produce a modern interpretation of Hunter Valley chardonnay. The Hunter has always produced chardonnay with generosity, however, by picking slightly earlier, and using basket pressing, extended yeast lees contact and large format oak, we are making them better than ever.
How should we enjoy this wine?
The 2021 vintage was great for chardonnay, and the quality and uniqueness of each piece of vineyard is evident. The wine has finesse, flavour and vibrant acid; perfect to drink now or keep as long as you like – the 2021 is ideal to fill any holes in your cellar. $35, tyrrells.com.au @tyrrellswines
2018 BALGOWNIE ESTATE YARRA VALLEY CHARDONNAY Wine region: Yarra Valley, VIC
This wine has complex aromas including stone fruit, melon, citrus and nougat, plus gentle toasty oak notes. An intricate and creamy mouthfeel comes from extended ageing on lees, with a soft natural acidity and long finish.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
The 2018 vintage was warm in the Yarra Valley, so the fruit was hand harvested in the cool of the morning to preserve delicate fruit characters. Chardonnay clones 95 and Mendoza provided structure, fine acidity, and beautiful mid-palate fruit weight.
How should we enjoy this wine?
Chardonnay is a truly versatile variety that can be served with white meats and fish dishes, especially when young. Bottle ageing brings a softening of the acidity and richness to the palate. Enjoy its complexity, best served at 10 to 12°C. $45, shop.balgownie.com @balgowniewines
2019 SEVILLE ESTATE CHARDONNAY Wine region: Yarra Valley, VIC
The palate is pure, with bright melon, sweet spice and a toasted almond oak complexity. The acidity is fine with a lime sorbet-like flavour. An elegant and focused style that will age gracefully; drink from now until 2028.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
For us, great chardonnay is about capturing natural acidity at that perfect level where it starts to develop flavour. This is the base for making a pure and focused style that showcases a fine sorbet-like acidity that lingers on the palate and adds structure and complexity to the wine.
How should we enjoy this wine?
I like to start drinking a chardonnay by itself before introducing it to food as you get to taste the wine and appreciate it first. Lightly grilled calamari with fresh lemon alsways goes well with our style of chardonnay. $45, sevilleestate.com.au @seville_estate
2020 CAST EL LIE STATE IL LIRIS Wine region: Denmark, WA
A core of grapefruit and white peach aromatics layered with a rich, complex integration of gunflint nuances and brioche. Oak is seamlessly integrated with the tightly focused palate showing incredible minerality and complexity.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
Il Liris highlights the unique, cool maritime climate of Denmark. It was the vineyard that drove the direction of this wine. Tight structure and acidity, and delicate yet powerful fruit concentration showcases the purity of chardonnay that Denmark does so well.
How should we enjoy this wine?
It is best enjoyed at around 10 to 12˚C to allow the texture, acidity, fruit and oak to show in harmony. It’s a great pair with richly flavoured seafood, such as crayfish, abalone or freshly shucked Albany oysters. Lovely when young, this wine will also reward cellaring and patience. $70, castelliestate.com.au @castelliestate
2021 WINMARK CHARDONNAY Wine region: Broke Fordwich, NSW
This wine charms with a striking pale lemon hue, bursting with elderflower and white peach aromas. The palate is juicy and intriguing, with stone fruits and ripe meyer lemon notes supported with elegant spices.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
The site defines the wine, while the diversity of clones and aspect provide ample aroma, flavour, texture and depth. Our task is to capture the unique expression of this site and to present this with precision and purity.
How should we enjoy this wine?
This chardonnay is ready to enjoy and will continue to evolve and reveal its charm over the next four years. It is best enjoyed with great company as an aperitif or with the food of your choice. $37, winmarkwines.com.au @winmarkwines
2016 SCOTCHMANS HILL CORNELIUS KINCARDINE CHARDONNAY Wine region: Bellarine Peninsula, VIC
A bouquet of nectarine and grapefruit, a hint of burnt match stick and spice with creamy oak delivers great complexity. The palate is fresh with mouthwatering acidity, ripe nectarine fruits, a creamy mid-palate and cashew oak finish.
What do you aim to capture in this style?
The Cornelius label is a celebration of our most distinguished vineyards, and intuitive, groundbreaking winemaking, using both New World and Old World techniques. This includes hand picking, whole-bunch pressing, and wild fermentation. We regularly stirred the lees while maturing in barrel over six months, and after 15 months, we blended, filtered and bottled this wine.
How should we enjoy this wine?
This richer style pairs perfectly with lobster, scallops and roast chicken, and is best served at 9˚C. Exceptional now, it will also reward over the next five to 10 years. $78, scotchmans.com.au @scotchmanshill