Chardonnay Around Australia

Don’t drink chardonnay, they say. It’s too oaky, too ripe, too sweet, too monotonous and too industrial. Fighting words; but they regretfully apply to far too many Australian chardonnays. But there’s no need to tar them all with the same brush.

It might appear to defy logic, but the ripest, most heavily-wooded and substantial of all Australian chardonnays can actually be our finest, most harmonious and seamless. With their origins in a far-flung collection of Australia’s cooler wine regions, the best now make a diverse crowd, but do share the classic qualities recognised in the best international chardonnays. Let’s take a look at where they’re coming from and what they taste like.

The Margaret River WA almost makes as much top-notch chardonnay each year as the rest of Australia put together. Its wines are typically ripe, generous and tropical, with characteristic ruby grapefruit and pineapple flavours. Leeuwin Estate’s incomparably consistent Art Series leads the way, not only for the significant volume of its make, but for its ability to combine so much power and intensity with such a rare level of harmony, tightness and finesse. The region’s other benchmark is from Pierro: a more overt and muscular wine that shares the Art Series’ ability to develop for many years in the bottle.

The big improver in recent years is Moss Wood’s Chardonnay: a complex and meaty wine whose deep core of intense fruit underpins its depth and power. Other regional classics include Cullen’s taut and mineral expression, Cape Mentelle’s rather wild and earthy effort and Devil’s Lair’s more polished alternative. Voyager Estate, Lenton Brae and Vasse Felix are steadily raising their standards, while Xanadu is also capable of first-rate chardonnay.

Led by the two chardonnays from Petaluma, the Adelaide Hills SA is maturing as a maker of reserved, focused chardonnay. Its delicate peach, apple and melon qualities demand a more restrained approach in the winery towards issues like oak and alcohol. Petaluma’s wines are fine-grained, delicately interwoven and mineral, while the Lenswood Vineyards wine is more chewy and buttery. While the single vineyard Petaluma Tiers wine is often criticised for its lack of punch and impact; its restraint, length and harmonious integration of complex, delicate flavours are what I find most appealing about it.

While it also contains a significant component from the more southerly and warmer Fleurieu area, Penfolds’ Yattarna Chardonnay is evolving into a highly polished chardonnay of surprising fineness and restraint, especially given the out-sized Penfolds efforts of yesteryear. Other fine Adelaide Hills chardonnays include Shaw & Smith M3 formerly the Reserve label and Grosset’s Piccadilly Chardonnay.

Given the size of the investment made there, it’s something of a surprise that the Yarra Valley Victoria doesn’t produce more chardonnay of world pegging. Its best fit somewhere between those of Margaret River and the Adelaide Hills in weight, presenting pristine flavours of peach and melon wrapped in fresh, racy acids. The region’s finest are those of Mount Mary, Wantirna Estate, Yeringberg, Coldstream Hills Reserve, Yarra Edge and TarraWarra, while makers like De Bortoli and Yarra Burn occasionally deliver over and above their asking price.

Victoria is however host to a range of exceptional chardonnay from a multitude of other, smaller regions. Giaconda makes our country’s finest, but in tiny volumes that are very hard to source. Located in the hills near Beechworth in the state’s northeast, its wines are deeply flavoured, complex and savoury; the closest thing you can imagine to classic Meursault without actually opening one.

Another pair of Australia’s finest chardonnays comes from Geelong. Bannockburn produces a richly textured, long-living and classically proportioned chardonnay capable of exceptional flavour development. Its rare SRH bottling is even more luscious and richly textured, reflective of exceptionally low yields of concentrated fruit. Other excellent Victorian chardonnays are made by Dalwhinnie Pyrenees, Stonier Reserve and Main Ridge Estate Mornington Peninsula, Bindi and Domaine Epis Macedon Ranges.

The particularly elegant and savoury Tyrrell’s Vat 47 was the first Australian chardonnay made in commercially available quantities, while the Lower Hunter Valley’s other classic is the more sumptuous and juicy expression from Lake’s Folly. Rosemount Estate’s deeply textured and buttery Roxburgh contrasts with the more savoury and mineral Show Reserve label – both surprisingly long-living Upper Hunter chardonnays – while its compact and very affordable Orange Vineyard Chardonnay can deliver more elegance and freshness than its more celebrated stablemates. Please login to post comment