What great fun pitting some of the greats of Australian Chardonnay against each other and other benchmarks. Thanks to all who joined us last night for a memorable tasting!
The main takeaways?
It’s no throw away or exaggeration to say that the best Chardonnay in Oz (and NZ) is easily world class. All wines were extremely well balanced, flavoursome and displayed a deft touch in the cellar.
It’s pretty clear we are entering a golden age with the variety. Many of the top producers some with the luxury of time, some less so (which is even more impressive!) have polished their style and élevage to make wines that are flavoursome and extremely refined. None were out of place against their peers and Burgundian counterparts.
It was noted you could likely replace the Australian contingent with a completely different set of wines and possibly achieve the same result - next time, haha!
Elanto Vineyard - one of the most ambitious and exciting projects in Australian wine for sure. Will be great to watch the evolution over the coming years.
Bessin-Tremblay: fair to say we’ve loved these wines since first sight. It’s hard not to agree with some of the cognoscenti who place them in the same rarified air as Raveneau and Dauvissat when you taste a wine like the Valmur 2023; simply magical wine and not the monolith this vineyard can sometimes produce. Just lovely and already open for business.
Great fun and kudos to all
Elanto Vineyard Chardonnay 2024
Mount Mary Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
Cullen 'Kevin John' Chardonnay 2022
Leeuwin Estate 'Art Series' Chardonnay 2024
Giaconda Estate Chardonnay 2024
Kumeu River 'Mate's Vineyard' Chardonnay 2025
Prophet's Rock 'Cuvee aux Antipodes' Chardonnay 2023
Bessin-Tremblay 'Valmur' Chablis Grand Cru 2023
Lucien Le Moine Meursault 'MS' 2023
Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Folatieres' 2023
