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.

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

Exclusive to The Vinorium

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 - Stuart McCloskey “Certainly, one of the best value Chardonnays in our portfolio as the flavours and structure command a much higher price. The nose opens with grapefruit, an orchard full of ripe, yellow stoned fruits, quartz and a lovely undercurrent of spice. Similarly, the palate offers grapefruit and yellow stoned fruits. Complexity comes via wild fennel and lip-smacking salinity which I love - lots of minerality too. Impeccable balance, refreshing, focused, full of energy and not a step out of place. Just a joy… Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Do not overchill!”

96 Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "What a treat from Franco D’Anna and his team. The Estate Chardonnay offers great quality and outstanding value. Generous and appetising perfume brimming with ripe nectarines and grapefruit with a great streak of minerals. The flavours on the palate follow suit and mirror the mouth-watering aromas. Simply scrumptious! A full bottle will be gone before you notice…"

95 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit  "Refined and sophisticated, the wine shows elegantly fragrant aromas of ripe peach, fig, toasted almond, vanilla and oatmeal on the nose, leading to a concentrated palate that displays excellent depth and weight, wonderfully complemented by creamy mouthfeel and bright acidity. A multi-layered beauty offering poise and complexity. At its best: now to 2025."

Winemaker "Intense and complex, this wine displays aromas of ripe peach, fig, toasted almond, vanilla and oatmeal on the nose.. A concentrated palate that displays excellent depth and weight, wonderfully complemented by a creamy mouthfeel and bright acidity"

96 Points- Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Captivating aromas hinting of intensity and elegance. Struck-match, minerals as well as citrus and white nectarine make for an amazing nose. The palate follows suit with layered textures delivering delicious complexity. Impressive and long on the finish with a touch of cashew and spice. Quite simply, Taylor’s Pass Chardonnay over-delivers on every level especially when considering its modest price tag."

96 points - Decanter "Smoky, earthy and mineral led bouquet. Complex and alluring. A great wine on the palate - dry, layers of spice and fruit, medium+ acidity, weighty and creamy. White peach and lemon, nectarine and red apple. Wood spice and wood smoke. Complex, layered, long. Drink now and through 2030."

 Gold Trophy - 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 - Stuart McCloskey “Floris is my midweek favourite and the ‘best’ value Chardonnay in our collection. Decant, pour into good glassware and your guests will believe you are sharing a thirty-quid bottle of wine with them – I kid you not. The aromatics leap from the glass in a wave of anise / fennel, confit pear, fresh ginger, oh so floral and finishes with a zip of lime acidity. The fruits are powerful and the palate saturated with minerality. Glossy with a super-long zesty finish. Simply, an excellent wine. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Do not overchill"

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.

17 Points - Jancis Robinson "Yup, a little struck-match character on this one as well as on the Sauvignon Blancs – as one might expect. Completely deeelicious in my book. What a bargain! If, and only if, you like this style. But this seems constructed for the long term with exceedingly true and bright fruit. Coche fans could save a fortune ... Fairly rich fruit but with no shortage of trademark Marlborough acidity to keep it fresh."

96 Points - Bob Campbell "Ripe, stylish and quite complex chardonnay with grapefruit, white peach, nectarine, bran biscuit and subtle mineral and oyster shell flavours. An elegant and appealing wine with an ethereal texture and lengthy finish. Delicious now but might even get a little better with a few years bottle age"

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.”

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

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.”

Exclusive to The Vinorium

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."

Exclusive to The Vinorium

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 - 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.

97+ to 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey "I will start with my conclusion – A stunning wine, thoughtfully produced, complex and incredibly natural. This wine makes me reconsider my rationale behind parting company! The nose is electric and filled with citrus, lemon grass, green olive and saline. The palate is sensual, perfectly judged (and I mean ‘perfectly’). The complexity is beguiling with layer upon layer of spiced tinged citrus fruit balanced by a lovely streak of acidity. I detect a little lemon thyme after a minute or two. Ripe citrus is a dominating factor however, the roundness is the winemaker’s deft touch. The spicy flavours fan out towards a saline finish. This is as good as I am describing. Irksome winemaker but a seriously fabulous wine… Do not overchill and ideally, decant for 20/30 minutes. Drinking 2020 to 2030. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

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.”

Exclusive to The Vinorium

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."

97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Struck match, citrus, lemon and orange peel, flint, wild mint, spice and an unmistakable twang of pink grapefruit unfold from the glass. Like the Cabernet – the balance is exceptional. Crystalline purity is the signature along with a soft, powdery mouth feel. The palate follows a similar line with confit lemon, lemon grass and spice all fabulously infused with floral notes. Finesse more than oomph, nonetheless this is an exquisitely composed Chardonnay. Expressive in a reserved sense and will provide a complete drinking experience in 5-8 years. Gracious, and all the better for it. Do not overchill and ideally decant for 20-30 minutes. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

97++ Points - Stuart McCloskey (tasting note to follow shortly)

Winemaker "Bright straw in colour. Displays aromas of concentrated aromas of ripe nectarine and white peach with undertones of citrus peel. Lifted notes of dried herbs and wood spice compliment nuanced aromas of roasted hazelnut, wet stone and honeycomb. The pallet is concentrated and beautifully textured with a flowing mouth-feel. The fruit weight and oak balance layer with luscious acidity to provide a superb fresh, linear and creamy structure.

The fruit is hand-picked into small baskets. At the winery it is hand sorted then gently whole bunch pressed, and the juice fermented in French oak barriques (20% new oak). After fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barrels on yeast lees for 11 months. Regular lees stirring added greater pallet weight and richness which balances the structure and complexity of this wine.

"This is Australia's answer to Montrachet"

98+ Points Stuart McCloskey “Exquisite, truly so… Sadly, Larry (Cherubino) produced one solitary barrel of this absolute beauty. The aromatics are breathtaking, incredibly penetrating with oyster shell, yuzu, lemon peel with the faintest suggestion of salty sea breeze. Stunning in a word. The palate offers heavenly complexity, amazing depth and a finish which seems to never end. The layers of citrus, slate, mineral and a little salinité are a joy. Huge sensory overload with so much energy. Do not serve too cold and allow 20-30 minutes in a decanter. Nothing short of magnificent and will continue to be so until 2030. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

"Stone fruit and citrus. Marzipan with hints of honey.
Slate-like mineral acidity"

Winemakers notes "Specific rows on three carefully selected Oatley vineyards at 450 to 520 metres made the cut for this outstanding modern Australian chardonnay. With a cross-section of old and new clones, hand selected and harvested at a couple of degrees lees potential alcohol than normal, this is a fascinating wine with a wide drinking window. Basket pressed, tight grained low toast French oak and natural yeast fermentation."

98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The nose is immensely grown-up and would not be out of place in a Grand-Cru white Burgundy line-up. A wondrous bouquet of honey, beeswax, citrus, apple, jasmine flower, and limestone. The palate is equally captivating, tensile and the biodynamic principles provide an almost perfect sense of naturality. Balletic is its movement from fruit to structure. So glorious and completely unforced. The wine’s intricacy is quite remarkable, and the complexity offers an intense, satisfying experience. This is a flat-out great wine regardless of its origins. Deeply impressive and will be mesmeric in a decade. Decant for 20 / 30 minutes and served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Do not overchill…”

 Vinorium Award - 2019 White Wine of the Year: Bronze

"Just magnificent and for me, the best Chardonnay in our portfolio."

 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

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?”.

96 Points - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "Very saline and racy, green apple and preserved lemon, toasted hazlenuts, whisper of struck match. It has zing and tingle, a lot of flint and brine, intense acidity, but set diamond-like through luxurious flavour. Again that spice and toasted hazelnut, a dollop of oatmeal, grip, lemon pith and superb length as it goes. You have to like them falling more to savoury/saline than simply fruit-sweet, but the precision and power here is really something."

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."

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "A blend of Tamar Valley, East Coast & Derwent Valley fruit. Well, this wine is, including a full laser show. Lemon rind, bread dough, wheatgerm, aniseed, cinnamon and white peach. Intense, precise, so much crunch and energy, chalk dust, green olive and brine, searing long finish. Drink while wearing sunglasses, and little else. That’s how pure and cool it is."

97++ - 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Like the ‘South’ the bouquet speaks of its birthplace but with a little more concentration. Lemon oil, lemon thyme, licks of wet stone, sea salt and take a walk past Jasmine to really appreciate the floral aromatics. The palate is a touch waxier in style / weightier and offers more immediate enjoyment. That tell-tale salinity is such an attractive quality and works a treat with the fresh zip of citrus, flint and razor-sharp acidity. Extremely elegant and judged perfectly. This is just a beautiful, crystalline Tassie Chardonnay which will be amazing in five or so years. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Do not serve from the fridge. 11-13 degrees being the best temperature. Decant for a wee while as this wine needs a little aeration”.

98 Points - Stuart McCloskey  "The most floral bouquet of the three, with buttered citrus and fresh vanilla seeds drifting from the glass. Still, and not to bore, lemons, minerals and salinity are also present.. The palate offers an intense experience and not necessarily through flavour as the vitality and tension offers a wonderful shrill of excitement. The balance is exquisite and, given its age, it is difficult to pin-down exact flavours save for a little crisp, green apple. So much energy and tightly coiled like a piston waiting to explode. Minerals and citrus contrast with a marine-influenced finish which I love. Truly outstanding and will be hitting its stride in five or so years. Potentially perfect in ten. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Do not serve from the fridge. 11-13 degrees being the best temperature. Decant for a wee while as this wine needs a little aeration”.

97-98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet is penetrating, precise, and certainly descends from a cool, maritime climate. Scents of lemon, mineral, sea spray and jasmine graciously unfurl from the glass. With time, the aromatics intensify and quite considerably (see my footnote regarding temperature and decanting). The palate is incredibly complex, regal and struts its stuff with such confidence, all the while highlighting its self-control. Tightly coiled but balanced perfectly with a satiny stream of citrus and minerals. The saline note on the long finish is lovely. There’s beautiful weight to the wine and it cradles your palate with an admirable suspense. A very, very fine Chardonnay which would benefit from five or so years in the bottle and will fan-out gloriously over a decade or more. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Do not serve from the fridge. 11-13 degrees being the best temperature. Decant for a wee while as this wine needs a little aeration”.

Exclusive to The Vinorium

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 - 2020 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!"

98 Points, Stuart McCloskey - tasting note coming soon.

96 Points - Nick Stock (James Suckling.com) "This has a slightly reductive edge to the nose with sliced-lemon, grilled-almond and peach character. Really fresh and pristine. The palate has a very impressive, concentrated feel with nectarines, peaches and citrus fruit. So pure and long. Drink now. Screw cap."

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."

 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).

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."

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."

   Platinum Medal at Decanter World Wine Awards 2019

98 Points - Decanter "Big vanilla and toasty brioche nose. High toast, new oak on the palate with a great depth of ripe tropical fruit flavour, plus a rich vein of pineapple acidity that carries the youthful fruit. Everything is in place for this to evolve gracefully."

96 Points - James Halliday "Brilliant straw-green; white peach, cashew and melon are brought together under a net of grapefruity acidity that refreshes the mouth and calls for another mouthful of a wine with attitude and class."

Antonio Galloni "The 2015 Chardonnay White Hill is refined, elegant and lifted, with plenty of bright citrus, white pepper and floral overtones. This is in a decidedly delicate, restrained style for Liquid Farm."

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "Australia’s leading authority on Chardonnay north of 2065, Prof. John Humphrey, has been applying firm but fair pressure on me to get these wines reviewed. Let’s see if I get it right. Matchstick, ginger biscuits, lime and white peach, kiss of vanilla oak, and white flowers. It’s cool, refined, distinctly pure and minerally, not a huge amount of flavour, though what’s there is very appealing. Fine flinty texture, oatmeal and slightly toasty savoury things on a long lemon water-coloured finish. Beautiful thing. Diaphanous. High appeal on the glass to glass measure, but also delight in refinement and style."

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "A very good Chardonnay out of Butcher’s this year. As fit as a butcher’s dog, you might say. Smooth, composed, light in flavour, cool and savoury, white fruit and citrus flecked with exotic spice and aniseed, quartz-y texture, a little lemon rind in the long fresh finish. Texture is a highlight. So very elegant and adult. So nice."

The 2018 vintage had a slightly warmer than average year, this led to the richness that Butcher’s Hill is known for, however there were no heat spikes through the ripening period that allowed slow and even fruit development. The resulting wine is reminiscent of Grand Cru Chablis with a great deal of energy, tension and vitality. Partial malolactic fermentation (around 50%) allows the wine to combine and create complexity throughout the palate and the use of larger oak barrels (one third new) allows the penetration of ripe stone fruit and floral notes through the grapefruit acidity lingering with a long flinty finish.