Chardonnay

Julia Harding (Jancisrobinson.com) "Intense and mixed fruit aromas: apple, melon, pear and stone fruit. No oak flavour but the firm and gently creamy texture and light spice suggests this has had some old oak influence. (I found out later that it was fermented in older oak with indigenous yeasts and only 10% went through malo.) Well-balanced acidity, giving a serious Chardonnay with impressive range of flavours and length for the price. Not quite as edgy as some De Martino wines, but deep and persistent with quite a savoury, lees finish. Good Value"

James Suckling  "There’s a fresh and lively feel to this rich and layered chardonnay that offers plenty of peach flavour and some mango, too. All delivered in a quite assertive, structured and punchy, taut mode. Drink now."

Winemaker "The 2018 vintage has produced a classic Hawke's Bay Chardonnay. Beautifully fragrant citrus, stone fruit and roasted nuts combine on a finely styled, textured and balanced palate showing good complexity."

95++ Points, Stuart McCloskey "Whilst writing, I am sipping on a new wine from the Stella Bella stable. Otro Vino Chardonnay which and to quote them translates to ‘Other wine. Adventurous, creative, exotic, and explorative hand-crafted wines.’ I like it. In fact, I like it very much. It lacks the concentration of the Suckfizzle, but the same winemaking philosophy is matched. Sea spray, citrus and offers a lovely texture. A more detailed tasting note will be released soon. Highly recommended and should really be retailing for at least five pounds more a bottle.

Winemaker "Elegant, textural and a bit wild. Focused fruit is bound by texture and stimulates the palate. Aromas of wax, lemon & lime pith, lanoline and honeydew are backed up by the Mendoza clone punch. Chalky texture and and yellow peach flesh on the palate, with supple grip and nutty solids driving the wine through the palate. Sexy."

 China Wine & Spirits Awards: Gold 2018

95 points - James Halliday  "A decidedly complex bouquet with some reduction and a hint of fermentation with cloudy juice. This feeds into a palate of similar complexity, slatey minerality adding its contribution hand in hand with oak. To 2025. "

Winemakers notes "Pale straw. The wine exhibits lifted nectarine and white blossom characters. A suggestion of cedar-like oak frames the generous stone-fruit characters and complex chipped shell minerality. The palate is clean and lively with tremendous depth of ripe stone-fruit flavour nuanced by cashew notes. Bright citrusy acidity ensures a long and seamless finish providing enhanced structure and length."

Featured in Langton's 'Top Six': The Best wines of 2018

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95 Points - James Halliday "This is Wickhams Road's twin playing games with you, for there is that little bit more of every facet of Wickhams Road present in this wine, even its colour is that little bit greener. It's the extra dimension of the faintly reductive aftertaste that draws me back for more."

Featured in James Halliday's 2019 Top 100 Whites Under $25

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95 Points - James Halliday "This has the typical energy, finesse and drive that makes Hoddles Creek have a ‘must buy' tag year in, year out. It has all the power needed to cruise through the next 10 years, with grapefruit, Granny Smith apple and stone fruit decorated with a necklace of bracing acidity."

96 Points - Top Gold and Best 2017 Chardonnay in Show
Trophy at 2018 International Cool Climate Wine Show

95 Points - James Halliday "Wild-fermented in French oak, matured for 8 months. The richest of the Soumah range, but doesn't rely on sweetness (there is none) nor extraction. The balance and length are both exceptional, the pure varietal expression courtesy of grapefruit and zesty acidity. Will flourish with more time in bottle."

96 Points - James Halliday "Absolutely nails all that is good about Margaret River chardonnay. Bright grapefruit and white peach fruit glide along a palate with great mouthfeel from its fruit, acidity and touches of grilled cashew nuts. Nothing wasted here, nothing included without need. 13% alc."

Winemaker "Its about flavour and balance and its about structure and finesse. The delicate yet complex bouquet displays a struck match character with a fresh and vibrant grapefruit and citrus palate melded with cashew and minerality. There is a clean finish of great length. The wine will mature well for at least 10 years.

This elegantly structured wine has a great persistence of flavour and exquisite balance of dosage and acidity. An excellent example of non-vintage style exhibiting beautiful poise and a refreshing natural acidity on the finish.

Predominantly Pinot Noir, which gives the wine red fruit plushness gives the wine lychee like characters, richness and a great backbone. Chardonnay is blended which creates a great elegance of structure and finesse, balancing the rich nature of Pinot Noir. Chardonnay (with age and some degree of oak) expresses the toast, mushroom, biscuit characters whilst the Pinot Noir is forward with flora/aromatic softness and tends to fill the middle palate. It matures relatively rapidly compared to the other varieties and enhances wine aged/complexity, often described as having 'soft acidity' which means more fruit driven and soft/approachable notes.

95 Points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "One of the top chardonnay wines in New Zealand, generally speaking. Indeed, Dog Point in general excels at its quarries. This one is for the flint and mineral fans. Strong slate and graphite scents, lemon and apple underlying. The palate is racy, whipcracked with citrus/white flesh stone fruit, charged with that flinty mineral thing going on. Sheesh, it's got some velocity too. In its style, it's done brilliantly. A fancy racing car of a wine. Cellar long too."

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94 Points - James Halliday

Handpicked Dijon clones 95 and 96 from a single vineyard at Karridale, whole bunch-pressed, wild fermentation and 11 months maturation in French barriques (20% new), plus 30 months in bottle. 360 dozen made. Trembles on the brink of unripeness, but is pulled back by the complexity built into the wine. Will always be Corton or Chablis, not Meursault or Montrachet.

Decanter World Wines Awards 2019 Gold Medal 

Perth Royal Wine Awards Gold Medal

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Unmistakably Deep Woods with aeronautical precision. Tightly coiled and needs a little time in the decanter / glass to unfurl. The palate offers wonderful symmetry and glides gracefully and with consummate ease. It is young but the sense of depth is impressive – it fans out beautifully with more time in the glass. It offers tension, structure and impeccable balance. I would love to see this in a blind tasting, pitched against Burgundies at double the price. Very classy and the wine’s sophistication versus the price makes it unmissable. It’s a joy now but patience will be rewarded further (I imagine it will be hitting all the high notes in five years). A fabulous wine, magnificent for the money and with a long future ahead. Served using Zalto Bordeaux Glassware.”

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Reductive at first but diminishes with a little aeration. I’ll start with my conclusion; overall a Chardonnay which is flamboyant, generous and thoroughly moreish, which will please those who are seeking a fuller style of wine. The value is off the charts – I believe most would be happy to pay north of thirty-pounds. With aeration (20 minutes or so) the wine unfurls with notes of creamed cashew, lemongrass, freshly juiced lemons, spice and wet, hot stones. Layer-upon-layer of fruit washes across your palate. Wonderful creamy richness juxtaposed with grip and acidity. Oodles of finesse with a finish which is endless. A real showstopper with the quality and structure to age gracefully over the next decade. A WOW for the money. Incredible value. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

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96 Points - James Halliday "From a single vineyard in Karridale, the southernmost and coolest part of Margaret River; hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (15% new), with natural mlf; 11 months in oak with occasional lees stirring; after bottling cellared for 30 months prior to release. Still pale, bright straw-green; the bouquet has a nutty complexity to the core of pink grapefruit, the palate a bright replay of the bouquet except for the racy, minerally acidity."

96++ to 97++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Sourced from the Howard family Somerset Vineyard where Angus once worked. The vines were planted in 1973, 1980 and 1987 over red volcanic clay and fine sandy clay loam. The bouquet offers ripe apricot, creme patissiere, spiced apple, fresh squeezed lemons, lemongrass with an undercurrent of minerals. The palate is medium-bodied but offers layer upon layer of ripe, citrus fruit. Tightly wound, tensile whilst offering incredible depth for its age. There’s a lovely creaminess which adds weight to the palate feel, which is beautifully contrasted by a seamless line of acidity. Oodles of finesse on show. This has the structure to age for a decade and will be magnificent in five years. Epic. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

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96 Points - James Halliday "From a single vineyard in Karridale, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (20% new), mlf, matured for in oak for 11 months, plus 30 months in bottle. Karridale is in the southernmost (coolest) part of the Margaret River, but the youth of this wine is nonetheless amazing - as it has been in prior vintages. No single fruit flavour dominates, nor is the oak particularly obvious, it's just a very good chardonnay."

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96 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (15% new), with natural mlf; 11 months in oak. Gleaming green-gold; the cashew/walnut complexity of the bouquet carries through to the palate, but here takes second place to its intense pink grapefruit core. Awesome second-tier wine."

Bob Campbell "The first Bilancia Chardonnay I have tasted. Fruit from La Collina vineyard and Bridge Pa Triangle. Indigenous yeast and 15 months in oak without fining or cold stabilisation. Attractive, elegant chardonnay with tight citrus, mineral, struck flint and savoury yeast lees and spicy oak flavours. A classy chardonnay with development potential." 

97+ Points Stuart McCloskey "My third bottle and my opinion has not changed. An ineffably complex bouquet which builds and builds with more aeration in the glass. Emphatically, mineral-dominated, which combine perfectly with Amalfi lemon peel and orchard fruits (quince). The palate is full of energy, exhilarating, tightly coiled and perfectly balanced. The wine is chiselled, builds slowly and would benefit from decanting. Richness does not come in the form of fruit. Instead, the wine's fullness comes in the form of texture (phenolic weight) which is undeniably attractive (a nod to the painstaking work carried out in the vineyard). Wet stones wash across my palate but it’s the salinity which I love and sets this New Zealand Chardonnay apart from all the others. There’s a killer line of acidity which will ease with more time in the bottle. Wonderfully alive, memorable and a breathtaking wine. Wow! Served in Zalto Bordeaux glassware." Drink now to 2026

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97 Points - James Halliday "A tiny 0.37ha interplanted with Bernard/Dijon and Gin Gin clones on south-facing deep silver grey sands. Wild fermented in new and used oak. Pale straw-green; highly fragrant/perfumed, palate fine and intense; minerally aftertaste. 13% alc, screwcap. Drink to 2030.

Acclaimed Margaret River winemaker Julian Langworthy and wife Alana are turning heads with their own boutique label, Nocturne. This Chardonnay is their take on the famous regional style, with great success. Born and raised in the region Julian has developed close relationships with some of Margaret River's finest growers, with this Chardonnay coming from a single vineyard in Treeton, planted to some of the region's best-suited clones. In the hands of Julian, this fruit absolutely sings. It's a polished version of Margaret River Chardonnay with ample weight whilst maintaining and elegant balance. This is an exciting new addition to the Margaret River Chardonnay landscape.

97++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Sourced from the very first planting of Chardonnay in the Adelaide Hills and continues to be revered as one of Australia's greatest Chardonnays. The current bottle price of $115.00 supports its domestic reputation. Struck match fades with a few minutes of aeration to reveal a whole spectrum of aromas ranging from confit lemon, sea spray, freshly squeezed lemon and lime, lots of minerality and a background of beeswax. The palate is flawless, everlasting with the weight and crystalline delineation of a Grand Cru Burgundy. It’s certainly not shy in coming forward but does offer enough restraint not to be too overwhelming. There’s a lovely satin texture with a killer line of acidity running through its core. More savoury than fruity with white toast, cashew and creamy chalkiness / oiliness which coats the palate. Harmonious and the little bottle age has done it wonders. Clearly, we should seriously re-consider our price! Drink now through to 2030. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

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97 Points - James Halliday "The 'lucky' 7th vintage, whole-bunch pressed, fermented in French barriques (50% new), 100% mlf, matured for 18 months. The brilliant straw-green hue says there's something special here, for it's incredibly detailed, precise and balanced, the three spears of perfect varietal fruit, high quality oak and acidity all unsheathed, but not required to be thrown. Only 88 dozen made."

"This is Australia's answer to Montrachet"

Every purchase of 6 bottles will include the original wooden case

97 Points - James Halliday "From a single vineyard in Karridale, hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed direct to new French oak, wild-fermented, matured for 10 months, no racking or batonnage, 6 barrels made. This is an exceptional wine, showing that doing less can be the hardest. References to Burgundy irritate some, so I tend to stay away unless I feel strongly, as I do here. This is Australia's answer to Montrachet, and a convincing one at that. This is going up to the house."

97+ to 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey "The title tells you everything - The Chardonnay vines were planted in 1973 and only one barrel produced (circa 600 bottles) therefore, our allocation is limited. I would love to put this into a blind tasting as the nose is deceiving – This has the depth and complexity of a wine at least five years of age. Ripe pear, a waft of fresh grated ginger, yuzu and fresh lemon juice. The palate is packed tightly with stone fruits, super-elegant, tensile and displays searing intensity, which is most satisfying. There is so much energy and it would benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar. Delicious now but the investment is a few years down the line. Remarkable for such a young wine. Drink now to 2030+. Served in Zalto Bordeaux glassware.

Mike Bennie, Winefront.com ''Always expect savoury, interesting chardonnay wines from Cobaw Ridge. Here's another. Loading in grape flavour and its full potential. It's a big chardonnay but not weighty, nor creamy, nor buttery and toasty. There's just lots of things going on. It smells of honeycomb, cashews, green apple, faint sea spray, the palate with similar flavours, really juicy but with a core of minerally-saline acidity and finishes with a light fino-meets-green-apple edginess. It's complex as chardonnay gets, alluring and compelling as a drink. It's Fantastic. ''

 Vinorium Award - 2019 White Wine of the Year: Bronze

Steven Spurrier - “Eileen Hardy Chardonnay is, in my view, the Grange of Australian white wines”.

98+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “A stunning bouquet offering a profusion of aromatics ranging from vanilla, lemon zest, Seville orange marmalade, wet limestone to maritime salinity and finishing with freshly grated, spicy ginger. The wine has put on some weight with a lovely silky textural feel, but far from viscous. Harmonious and exquisitely judged to be succinct. Flavours are more difficult to pin down at this stage, but one thing is certain, it’s effortless and washes across my palate with consummate ease. I love the spice, salinity – very maritime which changes with more aeration. Fascinating is the wine's development in the glass. As I mentioned in my previous notes - This would shame many white Burgundies at double the price. This is simply a beautiful Chardonnay which offers more potential for those with patience. Just magnificent and for me, the best Chardonnay in our portfolio. The value is unbelievable. I recommend drinking this superb wine from now to 2028. Sampled using Zalto Bordeaux glassware” Tasted 9 May, 2019

95 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront "This is swish. Straw-yellow in colour, stone fruit riddled, shy on the nose but textural and alive on the palate. A gentle creaminess, spice notes, slate even, honeysuckle and toast. Extremely pure. Flowing robes of flavour. Grapefruit-like bite to the aftertaste, as a distinct positive. It’s still gathering itself but already it’s a treat to drink. A beautiful, beautiful wine."

**Available for delivery from Thursday 16th April**

Neal Martin, Vinous "The 2016 Virtuoso Chardonnay, God forbid, actually brought to mind a Meursault Village from Coche-Dury on the nose (yes, it is that good!). There is a touch of reduction here, but it is well managed and does not impede fruit expression. The lightly spiced palate is very well balanced, with a honeyed opening and touches of hazelnut, almond and sesame, leading to an intense finish that lingers in the mouth. Brilliant."

95 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "This is impressively complex on the nose showing grilled stone fruit, hazelnut, gun smoke, lemon peel and vanilla characters, leading to a sumptuous palate that is concentrated and weighty. The wine offers terrific fruit power as well as engaging savoury nuances, finishing gloriously long and gratifying."

96 Points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Yes thanks. Fragrant white of lemon juice, vanilla, green apple, floral things and a faint whiff of nougat. Focused and tight in the palate, racy almost but for the drizzle of saline minerality and a pretty, flavoursome finish. Serious feeling in a leaner spectrum but not without flavour and detail. Killer wine – does everything so righteously."

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96 Points - James Halliday "The second (1.3 tonnes) vintage from the home block, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French barriques (50% new, 50% 1yo), matured for 18 months, plus a further 24 months in bottle, 90 dozen made. A beautifully detailed wine, all its components perfectly lined up, flowing seamlessly across the palate, stone fruit tempered by just-so citrussy acidity, the oak absorbed."

95 Points - Bob Campbell "First release of a new Marlborough chardonnay. Full-flavoured, with salty, briny, citrus, toasty yeast lees and spicy oak flavours. Lively, tangy wine with a pleasing texture and lengthy finish. Intensity and power suggest good cellaring potential. Clearly one to watch."

16.5 Points - Jancis Robinson "Dusty but deep citrus fruit. Very ripe, almost apricot fruit on the palate. Rounded and generous and not particularly oaky, just a touch of spice on the finish and very good freshness." 

Top Rated Chardonnay at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards

98 Points - James Halliday "A low yielding crop from the estate's home vineyard was fermented in equal parts new and used barriques, with full mlf, before a further 18 months of ageing in the same vessels, imparting a key lime zing to the aroma and a finely tuned meld of match strike flint. Lemon curd, white peach and grapefruit pulp purr along finely tuned mineral cylinders. This is exceptional, with winemaking a point. A challenge to differentiate between top white Burgundy and the stamp of a regional superstar!"

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98 Points - Stuart McCloskey "A wonderful and super-expressive Chardonnay which possesses staggering depth and richness, yet remarkably light on its feet. The palate is expansive and builds with a little aeration (I highly recommend a decanting for 20-30 minutes). Stuart Pym’s natural touch with his wines is clearly evident – I love the interplay and perfect balance between the fruit, oak, and acidity. Lots of energy on display which will no doubt help with its long and glorious evolution in the bottle. This will bring much, much joy to those who prefer their Margaret River Chardonnay’s with a little more substance and character (rather than the linear style which seems todays fashion). For me, this is as good as virtually any Chardonnay from anywhere and will be a spectacular bottle in another 6-8 years. Best served in Zalto’s Bordeaux glass…"

96 Points - James Halliday "Margaret River and Chardonnay go hand in hand, but the expressions of this variety across the region are many and varied. The Flowstone Queen of the Earth Chardonnay is from one tiny patch of vines in the southern reaches of the region."

Luis Gutierrez (erobertparker.com) "The 2015 Bramare Chardonnay Marchiori Vineyard was sourced from 19-year-old vines in the Marchiori Vineyard in Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo. The hand-harvested clusters were pressed and the juice fermented with indigenous yeasts, with spontaneous malolactic and an élevage of one year in 50/50 new and used French oak barrels. This is always a ripe Chardonnay with pit fruit and yellow flower aromas, hints of honey and beeswax. The palate is round and lush, with nice ripe fruit and very tasty flavors."

98 Points, Stuart McCloskey - tasting note coming soon.

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front "Sizzle sizzle Suckfizzle. It’s electric, tight, and intense, with length that’s so above average, it’s slightly embarrassing. Hazelnut, spice, lime juice, struck match. It has a nutty flavour and texture, but bursts with all the citrus and a bit of green melon. Chalk and zip from acidity. A suggestion of brine and umami too. It’s a kind of magic." 

  Best Chardonnay at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards

98 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked from specific rows, whole-bunch pressed to French oak for wild fermentation, and 9 months maturation prior to bottling. Rigorous selection of five barrels. Pale straw-green; this is remarkable as is the vibrant freshness and poise of the palate, the flavours running from pink grapefruit to white peach, the length admirable."

97-98 Stuart McCloskey “A powerful nose of lemon oil, white flowers, sweet pastry, leading to lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and wet stones. The palate is medium-bodied, crystalline and delivers finesse over power. Currently, a wine filled with tension which runs to its core. That said, and with the benefit of time in the bottle and glass, spicy, citrus and stone fruits unfold with more aeration. Even a tinge of heat coming from fresh ginger. Complexity is the greatest component with a ten-year cellaring journey ahead which will be fascinating to follow. It’s great to see a Margaret River Chardonnay which isn’t afraid to be expressive from the get-go. I would cellar for 3-5 years for that real “wow” factor. Sensuous, zesty and a finish which is everlasting. Brilliant winemaking…Served at warehouse temperature and using Zalto’s Bordeaux glassware. PS: Impatience has gotten the better of me as this wine arrived only thirty-minutes ago. In hindsight, I would decant for 20-30 minutes. I’ll resample in a few weeks which is not too much of a hardship.”

97 Points - James Halliday "From the home vineyard at Forest Grove planted '04, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (50% new), mlf, matured for 18 months, plus a further 24 months in bottle. I'll bet every vine receives personal attention; as each year passes, the style of the Flowstone wines becomes more clearly marked. Here it is the depth and texture of the fruit, mlf and oak in measured support for each other that establishes the special quality the wine has (not to mention 2 years cellar maturation)."

97-98 Points Stuart McCloskey “Fascinating notes which flit from confit lemon, poached ripe pear, apple, crushed rocks to pastry cream and almond croissant. The palate is tightly coiled, tense and comes alive with yuzu, lemon & lime – a bright streak of acidity runs through the core. This is a wonderful example of a wine which is all about purity and precision rather than leanness which we are seeing far too often. This will shatter the perception of Aussie Chardonnay and will leave no room for argument about its stunning quality. Today, a wine for those seeking unforgettable purity. Epic and will remain so for at least a decade… Ensure you do not serve too cold and decant for 20/30 minutes… Served using Zalto’s Bordeaux glassware, an essential to appreciate great Chardonnay.”

96+/98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “An electric bouquet of lemon oil, intense citrus, liquid minerals, chalk and faint wafts of nougat. The palate is an intense experience as it fights between grace, citrus power and an impressive line of acidity. Thrilling, tense, nervy and must be decanted for 20-30 minutes. I detect a little sherbet, more citrus fruits, sea salt, very saline with flavours fanning out with more time in the glass. This is a direct and precise wine but there’s a charming sense of harmony and poise towards the finish. Fabulous and I am intrigued to see how this develops over the coming years. Perhaps the most fascinating Aussie Chardonnay of 2019?”.

Hand harvested in the cool of morning, with careful sorting in the vineyard. The grapes are partially foot crushed followed by a very gentle, slow pressing over five hours. The wine enjoys one year in oak on full lees, no stirring, and no racking, prior to being transferred to stainless steel with all the fine lees for a further 6 months elevage. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a very small dose of sulphur the week before bottling.

97 Points - Stuart McCloskey "By far, the standout wine from the Talbott samples which I received. The nose unfolds with some aeration but retains its tight, mineral and steely fresh character – a nutty character unfolds after a while. The palate offers a degree of richness but has a tight and elegant core which is most attractive. Buttered citrus, stone fruits and tropical layers in abundance with touches of toast and oak. The mouthfeel and textural grip are impressive which support the wine’s overall harmonious balance. Lovely acidity and vitality which contrasts beautifully with the ripe fruit and toasty, mealy flavours. This is just beginning to show its full potential and will comfortably cellar for 5+ years. Excellent and served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware."

97 Points - James Halliday "First fermentation 92% in stainless steel, 8% in new French barriques; disgorged Dec '17. It immediately proclaims its class; the flowery/spicy/biscuity bouquet translates directly into the elegant, finely detailed palate. The flavours seem airborne in the mouth before landing on and driving the long finish."

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “The wine demands some aeration and reveals a crystalline, mineral-driven bouquet with nashi pear, white flowers, oatmeal and a whiff of smoky sulphide. The palate is certainly complex with flavours ranging from stonefruit, lemon peel and touches of anise. Concentrated but at the same time supremely measured and seamless. The palate offers a lovely glossy texture and is incredibly satisfying. Flavours expand from citrus notes, limestone, smoked almond to more oatmeal. Everything is kept in check with a healthy wash of acidity. A wine of immense potential and will only improve with more cellaring (3-8 years). I love this. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware”. Our Wine of the Week - 26 April

97 Points - James Halliday  "Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, cloudy juice wild-fermented in French oak (40% new), matured for 12 months. It's exceptionally fresh and pure, white peach and nectarine at its core. Roasted cashew and citrussy acidity dance around the core, creating a very long and crisp finish."

97 Points - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "Struck match, lime, grapefruit, almonds, chicken stock, flickers of cool green. Fine and composed, surges through the mouth, grips on tight, and doesn’t let go. So long. Flint, chalk, crunch, texture, subtle bitterness. It’s all here. It’s very Adult Chardonnay. Racy. A nudge and wink to those in-the-know. Outstanding."

96 Points - James Halliday "Bright straw-green; the complex bouquet has a positive touch of funk, as does the palate, but it's here that all the parts of the wine are fused together. The seamless flow of white peach, melon and grapefruit is given context by delicate cashew oak and fine acidity."

 Vinorium Award - 2019 Best Value Wine of the Year: Gold

 Gold Medal at 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards

97+ / 98+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “The concept behind Soumah’s Equilibrio range is to promote the very best barrels, clonal mix and new oak integration to create a few cases that will benchmark the potential of each vintage. A faint whiff of sulphur / gunflint. Tightly coiled and flirts between mineral and flint. With time, lemon oil expands the aromatics along with the most delicate, white flowers – a lovely sense of harmony. The palate has a beautiful tension and is far from flamboyant. Yuzu, freshly squeezed lemons, crushed stones / stony minerality provide a perfect crystal-like delineation. Reserved but far from miserly. More succinct, precise and as per its name, effortless equilibrium. It is tempting to drink now, but I would find a dark corner and ignore it for 2-3 years for that special experience. Better still, come back in a decade. In short, it is a very, very fine wine”. Served at a cool warehouse temperature & utilising Zalto’s Bordeaux glassware (I recommend decanting for 30 minutes too).

94 Points - James Halliday "Promotes itself (on the back label) as rich with butterscotch and French oak but it's more refined than it makes out. Better to over- than under-deliver in this regard. It's slightly backward and enclosed but there's power here, coiled, green melon and white peach, oatmeal and toasty oak keeping a close eye. It will venture out in its own sweet time."

95 points - Campbell Mattison (The Winefront) "Fabulous chardonnay. The cup runneth over. Slick, spritely, satiny and sustained. There’s flavour, there’s finesse, there’s a flourish to the finish. Lemon, lime, a sorbet-like aspect, nectarine and white peach, with a classy clip of spicy-sweet cedarwood oak. There’s almost a bacony aspect here, a smoked meat note, rosemary even, though it’s exquisitely pure of fruit. Potential for positive development is huge."

New single block wine for Hoddles Creek Estate. Originally the block was planted to Sauvignon Blanc, then pulled out and replanted with the Mendosa clone of Chardonnay on 101-14 rootstock. Different style to the Estate Chardonnay, 1ER and Syberia. Picked early (11.5 baume), whole bunch pressed to tank over night to settle the vineyard dust, then transferred to older barriques for fermentation.

It's a very cool block, facing East it only sees the morning sun and planted on a steep block with the rows terraced. Even at low sugars, we get ripeness and richness through the mid palate as flavour is well ahead of sugar in the ripening phase. The wine should age gracefully for 7-10 years.

2019 Wine Companion Awards 'Best New Winery of the Year'