Category Archives: Chardonnay

2013 Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay

A wine that I look forward to tasting each year. It hasn’t managed to maintain the high standards set in place from 2010 to 2012 but it’s still a worthwhile option. Melony and slightly syrupy with peach, pineapple and ruby grapefruit. … Continue reading

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2012 Crittenden Peninsula Chardonnay

Flavoursome Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay from Rollo Crittenden. Holds its shape well via buoyant acidity. Oatmeal, white peach and lemon curd are the main players. A luscious peak of figs drizzled with honey. Possesses a leesy nuttiness. Well pitched toasty oak. … Continue reading

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2012 Le Chat Noir Aude Valley Chardonnay

Most people’s minds don’t immediately wander to the south of France when they think about Chardonnay but this isn’t bad value. Imported by Fourth Wave Wine. Fresh cream, butterscotch, pear and lemon-lime citrus. A crowd pleaser. Goes down easy. Despite … Continue reading

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2013 Ross Hill Pinnacle Series Chardonnay

From a warmer, dryer vintage than the excellent 2012. I’m not as fond of it but it’s a worthy follow-up nonetheless and true to the conditions in which it was conceived. Rather fleshy and peachy. Prominent pineapple and coconut – … Continue reading

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2011 Toolangi Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Forward and developed for a 2011 Yarra Valley Chardonnay. Fruit comes from the warmer Dixons Creek area on the Valley floor. Peaches in syrup, apricot nectar, grilled nuts, unripe banana and wood spice. Slippery more than buttery in the mouth. Not much … Continue reading

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2012 TarraWarra Estate Reserve Chardonnay

Now with a new and improved label. Softly spoken for a ‘Reserve’ wine. It’s a very impressive expression of Yarra Valley purity and understatement. White peach and flowers, lemon-lime refreshment with a suggestion of orange peel. Lightly toasty nougat oak … Continue reading

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2013 The Armchair Critic Tumbarumba Chardonnay

Chardonnay from Tumbarumba. So hot right now. Especially if gun winemaker Adrian Sparks has a hand in it. The lees presence seems less dominant than in the last release. That intense white stonefruit and citrus is present in high-definition clarity. … Continue reading

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2012 Dexter Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay

The second most impressive Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay from the 2012 vintage to cross my path thus far (Ten Minutes by Tractor’s Wallis Vineyard Chardonnay being just ahead of it) Depth of fruit, leesy character and persistence are its calling cards. … Continue reading

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2012 Forester Estate Margaret River Chardonnay

Tasted blind in a bracket of mostly 2012 Chardonnays. I got a shock when I saw the RRP. A Baudrillardian wine – all surface. Two dimensional. Pear, pineapple, white peach. Sweet nougat oak. Syrupy as much as creamy. Fades on … Continue reading

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2012 McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Vineyard Chardonnay

Perhaps the Chardonnay that exhibits the most detail in the McHenry Hohnen stable. Regional yet restrained. Smoke and pebbles as much as fruit intensity. Line, length and subtlety. Nectarines and limes, roasted hazelnuts and cashews. For all the purity and … Continue reading

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