Summer Wine Guide 2023

Chardonnay

2021 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay

G 100

Medium-pale colour. Intense flinty, lemon glace, grapefruit, nectarine, beeswax, wet stone hint matchstick aromas. Beautifully seductive wine with gorgeous ripe nectarine, lemon glace, grapefruit flavours, expressive flinty, waxy notes, fine loose-knit al dente textures, superb creamy viscosity, underlying marzipan, vanilla notes and wonderfully integrated acidity. Extraordinary wine. This is a brilliant Giaconda Chardonnay with superb density, fruit complexity, flow and mineral length. Australian Grand Cru. Absolute genius. Now–2032 2021 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay G 100 Pale colour. Classic grapefruit, white peach, roasted almond aromas with attractive flinty notes. Beautifully concentrated Chardonnay with superb pure grapefruit, lime, stone fruit flavours, fine lacy textures, impressive mid-palate generosity, underlying marzipan, vanilla notes and fresh flinty complexity. Finishes minerally and long. Electrifying wine with wonderful volume, fruit definition, weight, complexity and energy. Highlights a marvellous vintage and years of improving the style. 100% Chardonnay, Tasmania, Tumbarumba, New South Wales and Adelaide Hills, South Australia. 9 months’ maturation in 30% seasoned and 70% new French oak barriques. Now–2036 2021 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay G 98 Pale colour. Lovely intense grapefruit, grilled nut, marzipan, vanilla aromas and flavours. Taut yet sinuous in structure with ample grapefruits and limes, underlying tonic water, grilled nut flavours, fine lacy textures, superb mid-palate volume and fresh high-pitched indelible acidity. A thoroughbred of remarkable richness and torque. A beautifully focused and classic Margaret River Chardonnay showing off the fidelity of the Gin Gin clone and precision vineyard sourcing. Now–2032 2022 Moss Wood Chardonnay G 97 Medium-pale colour. Beautiful grapefruit, melon aromas with marzipan vanilla notes. Generous and creamy with ripe yellow fruits, melon, white apricot flavours, fine supple textures, superb marzipan vanilla oak notes and fresh long indelible acidity. Lovely viscosity and mineral length; the oak in perfect symmetry to the fruit. A lovely vintage. Now–2028