20 Chardonnays capturing the best of Australia right now
Featuring:
Bindi · By Farr · Cape Falls · Cullen · Deep Woods
Giaconda · Giant Steps · Grosset · Leeuwin Estate · Oakridge
Penfolds · Pierro · Pooley · Shaw + Smith · Singlefile
Stargazer · Stefano Lubiana · Tapanappa · Tolpuddle · Xanadu
Monday April 6th
(Easter Monday Public Holiday)
Tasting: 4-6pm, 20 Chardonnays with cheese platters throughout, $275
20 wine glasses for each person
🏆 Australia’s Capital City Chardonnay Trophy Winners
Sydney · Melbourne · Adelaide · Perth · Brisbane · Hobart
Western Australia (WA) - 19 Trophies (65.5%)
South Australia (SA) - 4 Trophies (13.8%)
Victoria (VIC) - 3 Trophies (10.3%)
Tasmania (TAS) - 3 Trophies (10.3%)
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Margaret River is one of Australia’s most established wine regions, shaped by a strong maritime influence from the Indian Ocean.
The climate is notably stable, with a narrow temperature range and consistent growing conditions from year to year. While it produces only a small share of the country’s total wine, it accounts for a disproportionate amount of the premium output.
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Victoria brings together a range of distinct Chardonnay sites. The Yarra Valley, one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, combines valley floor and higher elevation vineyards with different climates and soils.
Further north, Beechworth sits at higher elevation and has developed a strong reputation through a small number of focused producers, while Geelong adds a coastal influence to the mix. Together, they form one of the most varied Chardonnay landscapes in the country.
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The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s highest and coolest mainland wine regions, with vineyards often sitting above 300 metres and in some cases well over 600. That elevation creates a wide range of microclimates across a relatively small area, from the cooler Piccadilly Valley through to slightly warmer sites further north.
It’s a relatively young region by Australian standards, but one that has developed quickly, attracting producers who are focused on site selection and working with individual vineyard parcels rather than scale.
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Tasmania is Australia’s coolest major wine region, with the lowest average summer temperatures and a growing season shaped by its island position and surrounding oceans. Vineyards are spread across several areas, including the Tamar Valley in the north and the Coal River Valley in the south, each with its own conditions.
The Wine List
(In alphabetical order)
2023 Bindi Quartz Chardonnay
98 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Bright, light-mid yellow colour with creamy lees, candle-wax, oatmeal aromas, the flavour swells to a wonderful intensity in the mouth without any shrillness or sharp edges, the component parts beautifully harmonised and the wine flowing evenly to a very long finish. Outstanding chardonnay, great to drink now and undoubtedly has many years ahead of it.
2024 By Farr GC Chardonnay
Ranked #4 of 19 2024 Chardonnays from Geelong
95 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Bright, light yellow colour; slightly green/herbal aromas of celery stalk, a suggestion of parsnip/earthy root vegetable. The wine is tight and tense, firm and has excellent concentration and vitality, oak taking a back seat. The finish is very dry, mineral and lip-smacking. This is lovely now and will cellar well for many years.
2023 Cape Falls Chardonnay
2023 Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay
99 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordan.com.au
Great vintage, great wine. It’s the perfect combination. This is right up there with any previous Cullen Chardonnay, and if someone argued it to be the best wouldn’t put up much of a fight. Follows the Cullen biodynamic approach which sees the fruit harvested by hand, whole bunch basket pressed and then fermented in a mix of concrete eggs, amphorae and biodynamic puncheons. The attention to biodynamics is one of total commitment. Engaging aromas of white peach and cumquat with a gentle vanilla bean and lemon curd character. An edge of grapefruit and quince with a sliced pear character adds further complexity. The palate is an incredibly powerful expression of a stone fruit combination complemented by a sprinkle of turmeric and lemon zest. The dry savoury and slightly chalky finish completes a remarkable wine.
2024 Deep Woods Reserve Chardonnay
97 Points & (#7) Top 100 Wines of Australia, James Suckling
Another excellent release with a touch of sun and a now cult-like following. Reductive-edged aromas of struck match, grapefruit, crushed stones and a steely, almost metallic polish. The palate is tightly wound but a little more generous and open, reflecting the warmer vintage, with searing acidity, generous fruit and high tension. Truly excellent.
2022 Giaconda Chardonnay
Top White Wine of the World 2024 & Top 100 Wines of the World 2024 (#2), Antonio Galloni & Team, Vinous
The compact and intense Giaconda 2022 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard jumps out of the glass incredibly intense, focused and energetic. It envelops the senses with aromas of nectarine and musky peach skin, and a decadent yet balanced influence of French oak with a strong edge of flint. A fabulous, almost chewy texture combines with a bolt of mouth-watering acidity sitting underneath, before tightening up to an exceptionally lengthy finish. This is a step up on the fabulous 2021.
2024 Giant Steps Applejack Chardonnay
97 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Reserved, powerful, super complex nose, smoky, spicy, citrus oils and juice, into stonefruit, into an earthen aspect. This is for the cellar and this is super. Aftertaste brings grapefruit and apple skins, texture, mineral, stones. Outstanding Applejack Chardonnay. Intense and pure but with layers of character. Reserved power.
2024 Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay
96 Points, Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
A silky textured, inwardly concentrated release with fresh nashi pear, red apple, light gingery spice elements, halva and brine. The potency gives a sense of power but there's control and elegance here, too. A graceful, salivating white with impeccable balance and length.
2023 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
JJ
2023 Oakridge 864 Funder & Diamond Chardonnay
98 Points & Wine of the Year (2025), Philip Rich, The Wine Companion
From the Funder & Diamond vineyard, planted in Wandin East in '90. With its bouquet of white nectarine, pink grapefruit and traces of sea spray and a perfectly structured palate, this is tightly coiled and built for longevity.
2019 Penfolds Bin 19A Chardonnay
98 Points, James Halliday, The Wine Companion
Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, part direct to barriques for wild ferment and 100% mlf. A beautifully detailed chardonnay, white peach and pink grapefruit plus supple creamy cashew run through the very long palate. Rubs shoulders with the best in the land.
2024 Pierro Chardonnay
98 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordan.com.au
From one of Margaret River’s great producers, delicate and fine with pristine brightness. Grapefruit, citrus, butterscotch and a subtle mealy note. Lively acidity drives through to a sustained finish with chalky minerality and precision.
2024 Pooley Butchers Hill Chardonnay
96 Points, Dave Brookes, The Wine Companion
Juicy white peach, nectarine and citrus fruits with cinnamon, clotted cream and spice. Sleek mineral focus and impressive length, finishing with stone, citrus and crème fraîche.
2024 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Chardonnay
97 Points, Campbell Mattinson, CampbellMattinson.com
This is as fine as they come. Pear, white peach, mineral, cream and smoked cedar all stitched together seamlessly. The length and composure are exceptional.
2021 Singlefile The Vivienne Chardonnay
Best in Show, London Wine Competition
98 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordan.com.au
From Denmark, this cooler vintage shows intensity and power with butterscotch, stone fruit and lemon curd. A dry savoury and chalky finish completes an outstanding wine.
2024 Stargazer Chardonnay
Ranked #2 of 43 2024 Chardonnays from Tasmania
97 Points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review
Bright lemon hue. Lemon, struck flint and white peach aromas. Elegant yet intense, with oyster shell, flint and precision through a long finish.
2023 Stefano Lubiana Collina Chardonnay
96 Points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
Floral and lifted with pineapple, nectarine and green apple, sugared almond and vanilla. A wine of contrast, spice and depth with beautiful balance.
2021 Tapanappa Tiers Chardonnay
98 Points, Ray Jordan, The West Australian
A small crop resulting in deep fruit concentration. Extended lees contact builds complexity and texture. Powerful palate with exceptional length.
2024 Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay
Ranked #4 of 43 2024 Chardonnays from Tasmania
97 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Bright and refined with lemon, acacia honey and precision. Seamless palate with great intensity and length. A gorgeous, long-lived chardonnay.
2020 Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay
97 Points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Companion
Crystalline, pure and layered with toasty spice and fine structure. A wine of immense potential that rewards patience, with a long, spooling finish.
Wine Critic Points & Reviews
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95 Points, James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge 2024
The nose is mineral-driven with aromas of lime zest, orange blossoms and flint. The medium-bodied palate has focused acidity and generous mouthfeel, giving notes of pink grapefruit, lemon blossoms and sea salt. Very focused and tightly wound with underlying power. Drink or hold.
94 Points James Suckling (October 2024)Very light colour in the glass; almond-icing aromas. The wine is tense and reserved, undeveloped and somewhat in its shell. Lemony freshness throughout the palate, which is lean and linear and quite long, tightened by very lively acidity. This is a fine wine that deserves a bit more time before broaching.
93 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (November 2024)It’s true this needs more time to settle. It’s nervy, flinty, full of energy and twitchy acidity. If opened today, let it breath to tease out the white nectarine and citrus, ginger fluff cake aromas, nougat and a touch of honeycomb. Some moreish sulphides in the mix, a slip of creamy lees, judiciously handled cedary oak and a fine palate all add to its appeal.
93 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (January2025) -
Thoroughly beautiful chardonnay from a Denmark vineyard planted in 1989. It was whole bunch pressed and fermented in a one third new and two thirds one year old French barriques. Partial malolactic fermentation with regular lees stirring over six months. On the nose grapefruit and zest lemon emerge. The palate has a fine minerality and delicate acid to sustain through to a long finish. Really impressive chardonnay.
96 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.auA decent level of French and some honest cheek won the day. Mike worked there for 10 years and was able to learn the Burgundy business from the inside. In 1990, he decided to start up an independent Burgundy export merchant and hey Presto! The birth of Vins Divins!
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Trophies – Best Chardonnay,
Best White & Best WA Wine, Royal Perth Wine Show 2024
Okay, this stacks up as the best chardonnay yet from Driftwood. Displays the subtle understatement of the style and the site, but then you start to explore the complex aromas of cut lime, lemon, quince and richer crème brulee. The palate then kicks in with its embedded richness coming from regular lees stirring. A most impressive and exciting chardonnay development for Driftwood.
97 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com -
The 2023 Single Vineyard Chardonnay is from the Forrest vineyard in central Wilyabrup, to the north of Margaret River town. The 2023 season that birthed it was magnificent—the best this century for whites; the premium reds are yet to be released. Mild temperatures, a long, dry growing season meant there was little to no pressure in the vineyard. The fruit was in brilliant condition, and the wines show this. The 2023 Single Vineyard Chardonnay leads with elegantly managed reduction, showing curry leaf and brine, white flowers, flint and salted nuts, beeswax, sea spray and fresh pressed linen. This is a pleasure to smell and even better to taste. Ductile, resolved phenolics provide shape on the palate, while the toasty oak sits neatly folded into the fruit. What a wine. Yes. The best release under this label yet. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
97 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (November 2024)A beautiful expression of this vintage in a wine that reveals the extraordinary fruit of the season augmented with clever winemaking to bring out the energy and vibrancy within. The lightly struck match influence on the nose is evident immediately as it sits neatly with the rich crème brulee and quince-like roasted cashew characters, There is depth here, and richness, all held with admirable composure through to a precise long finish. One of his best.
96 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.comThis classy and refined single-vineyard chardonnay is very expressive and mineral with notes of preserved lemons, lime curd and flint. The medium-bodied palate has high-tension acidity, giving powerful notes of grapefruit rind, candied lime zest and chalk. Drink or hold.
95 Points James Suckling (October 2024) -
A single vineyard Chardonnay of inimitable character, there is only one Luminosa. Each release is a masterclass in delivering a top tier Margaret River Chardonnay that is both sumptuous and bright with a real inner Chardonnay energy force. Complexity is immediately delivered via aromas rich in peach, melon, quince paste, apple, citrus and lively, fresh sea spray. The palate offers an all-embracing taste experience in layers of flavour, juicy, filigree-fine acidity, a lick of smart oak that seems naturally in tune. Enticing hints of zesty lemon skin to close. Lingers long with outstanding line and length.
96 Points Jeni Port, Winepilot (December 2024)Sophisticated notes of lemon confit, rosemary, flint and lime curd. The palate is medium-bodied with vivid acidity, giving notes of grapefruit, quince, apples and sea spray. Very nicely constructed while sitting on the edge of reduction. Drink or hold.
95 Points James Suckling (November 2024)In a way, this is a bit of a sleeper. Slow to unfurl even if it immediately tastes delicious with its pink grapefruit, citrus rind and fresh ginger tang. Mouth-watering sulphides make an impression as the invigorating acidity surfaces, curling across the palate. Savoury, spicy, a little creamy yet flinty and fine, too. It’s tightly wound; let it breathe to reveal its detail or give it another year or so in the cellar. Either way, this is very good.
95 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (August 2024) -
Another wonderful example of the outstanding chardonnays coming off this established Margaret River vineyard. Follows a line of handpicking and whole bunch pressing with wild fermentation and nine months in oak. The primary fruit of grapefruit and cut lime with some light brioche reveal their subtle qualities on the nose. The palate has a steeling linear feel to it but that in many ways conceals its sustained power and intensity. A precise and focussed wine with so much potential.
97 Points Ray Jordan rayjordanwine.com -
Generous smoky/flinty reduction overlying ripe grapefruit aromas—a classic Gin Gin clone wine. Superb fruit: very regional and very Gin Gin. Powerful flavour teamed with refinement and penetrating length. A real finesse chardonnay and quite superb.
96 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (May 2024)The 2023 Wildberry Springs Chardonnay is ripe and full flavored, with yellow peach, lemon verbena, preserved citrus rind and salted cashews. The palate is threaded together with saline acidity and exotic dry spices—saffron, fennel seeds and cheesecloth/lanolin. The wine is opulently styled and quite ripe, but it works. Usually, these wines are lower in alcohol, but in the context of this dry, mild season, the ripeness sits well within the wine. There is something quite grown-up/sophisticated about the wines from this vintage, and it shows in this wine. 14% alcohol, sealed under Diam and wax.
95 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (November 2024)Smells of a lime daiquiri – salty, tangy yet waxy, textural and flavoursome. Riper in style, in terms of fruit weight, with white nectarine/peach to the fore and grapefruit, too. Some funky sulphides, all smoky and flinty, creamy, light lees and a savouriness throughout yet there’s a slip of sweetness from the oak with warm spices, too. It lingers, it’s complex, detailed and as compelling as it is delicious.
95 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday's Wine Companion (August 2024)Fermented in amphora and barrels, half and half. Of the oak, 30% is new. Gin gin clone, for the clone spotters. Lees stirring employed. A very lively chardonnay, set to medium weight, a strong sense of minerality running through the wine. Scents of ozone, sea spray, margaritas with salt rims, tonic water and bay leaf. A beauty to sniff on. Flavours sway between limey margaritas, tonic, sweet lemon and light gingery spice. It's got this pleasing saline, talc and briny chew to it too. Really good drinking here.
95 Points Mike Bennie, The Wine Front -
Trophy – Best Chardonnay, Royal Hobart Wine Show 2024
Trophy – Best Chardonnay, Royal Queensland Wine Award 2024
Trophy – Best White Wine of the Show, Royal Queensland Wine Award 2024
Trophy - Wine of Provenance Margaret River Wine Show, 2024 Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2023, 2017, 2014
Trophy – Best WA Chardonnay Melbourne 2024
Gold - Melbourne 2024
Gold - Margaret River 2024
Gold – Sydney 2024Of the 24 vintages I have done in Australia, the 2023 vintage stands tall as likely my favourite and what I see as the best vintage I have experienced to date. It truly was a Goldilocks of a season and you know what goldilocks liked, she liked things not too hot and not too cold …. Just right in fact and that’s what we got. The 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, like the vintage is just right, flinty mineral and fine but with great latent power and acid drive; a chardonnay for the ages and like the vintage my favourite Reserve Chard ever.
Julian LangworthyLet’s cut to the chase. The finest Deep Woods chardonnay yet. It has it all. Great fruit has been harnessed with whole bunch pressing and fermentation in new and seasoned French oak. Further lees stirring has built in texture, contributing to a thoroughly beautiful, refined mouth feel. Opens with stone fruit and savoury light lemon curd aromas. Peels off into a palate that reveals more of a struck match and cracked seashell minerality complementing the outstanding fruit concentration. Super wine.
98 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.comI recently tasted these 2023 Chardonnay wines from Deep Woods off the grid—that is to say that no tasting notes were taken, but the impressions were powerful. The 2023 season was one of the most magnificent vintages in Western Australia for its long, mild and dry outlay of growing days. There was some rain at the very end of the harvest period, which did impact some later-ripening reds, but given the year and how it all played out, this was managed well by most. The 2023 Reserve Chardonnay is a true reflection of the year that birthed it; it is elegant, long, coiled and fine, with a palate of concentrated fruit. Most importantly to us, the drinkers, the wine has presence and impact. The acidity is saturating, glassy and crystalline, the fruit is ripe, powerful and restrained, and the phenolic structure that holds it together does so in a pliable, ductile fashion. This is an excellent wine and a wine that I want to drink. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
96 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (November 2024)Lime, pink grapefruit, quite a lot of cashews, cinnamon pastry, some cut fennel, a wisp of flinty and smoky things. It has intensity and ripe grapefruity acid cut, something more saline and umami here too, bright and chalky in texture, with lime rind and grip on a finish of excellent length. It has zing and energy, though it really needs a few years in bottle to cool its boots and settle into its groove."
95+ Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine FrontDeep Woods – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2023. This has everything turned up a notch. More depth of fruit, more complexity from the winemaking and more impact from the texturing oak. Here, the citrus has been replaced with the more typical tropical/pineapple acidity. Lees and barrel work add greatly, with minerality and struck match notes really adding to the mix. And there is tremendous length and persistence of flavours. The fruit is primarily from Wilyabrup and spent time in 35% new oak (a combination of barriques, hogs heads and puncheons). A superb wine that deserves to be considered amongst the region’s finest.
96 Points, Barry Weinman, Weinman on Wine -
Amazing to think that Moss Wood’s oldest Chardonnay vines are now 48 years of age. Fermentation for this cracking Chardonnay was finished in 228-litre French oak barriques. The wine was then blended in tank and returned to barrel, with 49% new, for the next year and a half. The colour here is a deep but attractive lemon gold. This is a superb Margaret River Chardonnay. Complexity is already evident, as are notes of stone fruits, cashews, oatmeal, ginger, lemongrass, peaches and immaculate oak handling. The supple, creamy, cushiony texture is an absolute highlight. A wine of fine balance and serious length, this has at least a decade of providing pleasure ahead of it. A stunner.
96 Points Ken Gargett, Winepilot (January 2025)A more refined edition of Moss Wood Chardonnay bursting with sherbet, melon, and citrus tones that are powerful, taut and well integrated with toasty French oak. Bone dry and embryonic, it is highly reserved with a chalky texture while just starting to build nutty, peanut brittle tones. Super young and tightly wound, this is a standout Moss Wood Chardonnay.
95 Points Angus Hughson, Winepilot (January 2025) -
The vineyard stamps its character on this from the get-go. Notes of lemon scents with lightly roasted cashew and faint struck match. The palate is intense and with a fine acidity and minerally character defining it through its linear range. Beautifully integrated and tightly coiled before releasing through to a sustained finish. A wine that will really show its true worth in another few years.
98 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.comThe 2023 Hazel's Vineyard Chardonnay shows more flesh and ripe positioning than the Calgardup Brook tasted alongside it. Here, cilantro, kiwi fruit, white pineapple, white flesh stone fruit and chamomile tea adorn the bouquet. The wine is imbued with piercing acidity and a silky, lush nougat-marzipan character. The purity and flow of the wine from a textural standpoint is one of the highlights. This is polished, svelte and very smart. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
95 Points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate -
This chardonnay comes from the Wallcliffe area within Margaret River. The fruit from this season was excellent, but then Cliff Royle has harnessed it perfectly creating a wine of tremendous power, yet at the same time subtlety and elegance. Slight struck match flinty characters on the nose merge with deeper notes of lemon curd and quince with a slightly oyster shell finish. As good as anything Flametree have made.
98 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.comThis sublime young 2023 Chardonnay delivers impressive purity and focus as it opens up with highly complex layers of citrus peel, rockmelon and gun flint topped by finely integrated oak. This stylish and sophisticated Chardonnay is a winner with a delightful seamlessness, al-dente acidity, chalky phenolics and creamy fruit textures intertwined to deliver a long and confident finish.
96 Points Angus Hughson, Winepilot (January 2025)You wouldn’t think twice about pouring another glass as the first goes down a treat. This is the kind of chardonnay I expect from Cliff Royle – flinty, funky, tight and yet oh-so flavoursome. Expect pink grapefruit, lemon zest and pith with superfine acidity in the driver’s seat. Along for the ride are the textural palate, the ginger spice and whisper of cedary oak.
96 Points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (August 2024) -
Okay, I’ve tasted a few of these and I reckon this is the best. Great vintage, yes, but then the subtle winemaking has brought it to a new dimension. While bunch pressing and naturally fermented in new and used puncheons, which just takes the edge off the oak. The power of the Gingin clone is evident immediately. Lemon, quince and brioche notes work through while the palate is a thrilling journey to a very long finish. Great wine.
98 Points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.comThe 2023 Pemberton Chardonnay is tightly wound—coiled like a spring. The wine is mineral and yet fleshy, with a core of lemongrass and brine. Orchard fruits carry the weight of the wine across the palate, and while this is profoundly promising, the wine currently is closed. It feels to me to be intensely exciting and declares a long future. Highly recommended. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
95 Points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate -
White Wine of the Year, Ray Jordan WA Wine Review 2025
This will sit alongside anything Peterkin has made in more than four decades as one of the finest winemakers in the region. It is a cracking good wine delivered with precision and power with a degree of delicacy and finesse that makes it so appealing. Incredible intensity on the nose with aromas of white peach and grapefruit with a little muted butterscotch in the background. The palate is powerful and drives with urgency through to a remarkably long finish. The oak is neatly interlaced, and the fresh acidity adds another dimension with its savoury chalky character.
98 Points Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.comPower up front; finesse through the finish. This makes well and truly sure that it has your attention and then it shows that it has both depth, and style. Pears, yellow peaches, grilled nuts and a creamy, smoky, nougat character. There’s an element of quartz to this wine, or of something stony, and it’s a part of its glory. This is a noted wine in noteworthy form. It finishes long. It’s compelling throughout.
96 Points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front -
There’s been a real shift in the Howard Park wines since chief winemaker Nic Bowen joined in ’21 and now with ‘his’ vintages coming to fruition, it’s wonderful to witness. This is excellent. It’s flinty and a little funky thanks to the whisper of sulphides yet lots of delicious citrus, spice and savoury oak, the latter superbly integrated. Everything comes together brilliantly all tied with a neat bow of acidity leading to a persistent finish.
96 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (May 2024)It must be said that in the past 12 months, I have been involved in several masked tastings of Western Australian wines, and the Howard Park wines have presented very well; their performance in this regard is the best I can recall in recent memory. Hats off to winemaker Nic Bowen and the team there for their hard work. The 2023 Allingham Chardonnay hails from the magnificent 2023 season. This is as creamy and as nutty as ever, but it is imbued with a thread of saline acidity that is woven through every aspect of the palate. It is seamless and controlled, elegant and fine and ever so long through the finish, with salted cashews, yellow peach, green apple, shaved fennel, spring flowers and lemon curd. This is the very best Allingham I can recall seeing. Superb. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
96 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (November 2024)Complex amd heady aromas of grapefruit pith, white stone fruit, grilled nuts, mineral, white flowers and a whiff of struck match. Mouth-filling, powerful and driven in flavour. Pithy citrus, stone fruit, textured acidity and well managed oak are all working in a rather seamless way. The length is impressive, with a decent play of phenolic grip and that acidity providing drive and shape
96 Points Aaron Brasher, The Real Review (June 2024)Restrained aromas of grapefruit and nougat to start, making way for white nectarine, fine cedar, peach skin, and an emergent core of saline and citrus laced minerality. This really starts to sing after some air and increased temperature, though through a lens of restraint and focus with a harmonious symphony of fruit, savouriness and minerality. The palate shows restrained power and excellent line. Nougat and grapefruit leading again, before a burst of peach, nectarine, salted lemon, and yellow apple are pulled linear by an assertive and cleansing acid line. Excellent linear drive and near endless length here. A classy release.
96 Points Tom Kline, Winepilot (September 2024) -
Fine, fragrant and pithy aromas of grapefruit, struck match, melon skin, jasmine, just-ripe white peach, wet slate and green mango. Textured, focussed and layered, with concentration, purity and precision. Stone fruit, citrus, nutty oak, nougat and slatey, mineral acidity are all driving the palate. There’s texture, length and absolute class here
96 Points Aaron Brasher, The Real Review (December 2024) -
From the excellent 2023 vintage in Margaret River, … and what a wine. Never less than thrilling these days, … Balance, elegance and complexity, … the focus here is superb, through to an impressively long finish. …
98 Points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot (April 2024)I have only just recently reviewed this 2023 Kevin John Chardonnay several months ago, so I will refrain from altering it so soon in the piece; but suffice to say, the purity of fruit in this wine is astounding. It has green almond and slippery citrus, exotically detailed and spicy and so, so pure. This is an impressive wine in its infancy, but also, it's ready when you are. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
97 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (July 2024)Light-medium yellow colour, quite full in its youth; the bouquet shows toasted almond, cashew and coconut aromas, spicy oak and some fluffy yeast lees traces, while the palate is rich and generous, quite forward and giving, with an impression of fruit sweetness and a clean finish with perfectly judged phenolics giving it an appetising conclusion. A rich, generous and quite open-knit style of chardonnay that's already drinking well.
96 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (February 2024)The first thing to notice is the lighter bottle, just 360 grams, slicing 200 grams off the previous one – it makes a statement when a top wine is bottled in lighter glass. Hand-picked fruit is whole-bunch and basket pressed and fermented in concrete egg, amphora and oak puncheons, then aged eight months in the latter – 80% new. The power of the fruit has completely sucked up the wood, amalgamating it into the body of the wine. Lots of flavour – sweet stone fruit, Meyer lemon, ginger fluff cake and nutty, creamy lees with a savoury overlay. A lot going on. Fuller bodied and bold, yet the acidity is really chalky talc-like and lovely, keeping this buoyant, and there’s a neat pull of phenolics too. Complex and very satisfying.
96 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (August 2024)‘Made from 100% dry farmed biodynamically certified Wente/Gin Gin clone planted between 1976 and 1988.… excellent length. Positively dripping with golden flavour and energy, but so very good.’
96 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front