Black Friday's Best of the Best - Chardonnay Edition

This is Yarra Valley chardonnay that's as generous as it is sophisticated... Grapefruit, nuts, lemon pith, oak and lanolin all greet you before the wine has even touched your lips. The palate goes to another level of complexity, trying to pick individual notes is like picking individual voices in a choir. And why should we? If the song sounds good, let 'em sing - and the wine is certainly singing now. The Yarra Valley has long provided some of the finest chardonnays made in this country, and this recent release - young though it may be - reinforces that reputation emphatically. This is seriously impressive stuff with an exciting future ahead. Instantly identifiable as Yarra chardonnay, the wine is concentrated and elegant and energetic and mouth-filling, all at the same time. It speaks of place, and you could do much worse than speak about the gorgeous vineyards of the Yarra Valley and it's many surrounding hills. This place has been pumping out some of the best chardonnays in the country for a very long time - just check Halliday's Chardonnay Challenge!

This is a classic, an icon, a staple, a wine built so deeply into the fabric of the Yarra Valley itself that it's impossible to separate the two. And here's the thing about 2017 Yarra Valley chardonnay, we were drinking them back then, we were drinking them in 2020 and we're still drinking them 2025 - what a year for chardy. Age has done some really cool stuff to this wine... It glides across the palate with that slippery, almost silky texture before the fruit steps up - white peach, lemon juice, a hint of fig. There’s even this faint cheesy funk (the good kind) that adds character, all pulled into line by bright, zippy acidity. Lees ageing and a sprinkling of oak bring creamy depth and that slow, rolling finish that just works. This is one of the greatest wineries in the Yarra, if not the country, we thought they were all out of the 2017, our prayers have been answered.

This wine's become so iconic that it's used as the barometer for the entire region. This one tells us that 2024 was a special year in Margaret River. And it's got 96 points to prove it. This is a special wine. Not a single hair out of place - as close to chardonnay perfection as it gets. Margaret River's terroir is typified in this wine by a classic lemon, lime and grapefruit citrus with subtle notes of white stone fruit and enduring natural acid. The winemaking has imparted secondary notes of roasted nuts, fresh bread and, yes, cream, this is in part because of the oak profile but also gentle lees stirring, overall this is both harmonious and smooth yet extremely regional. The only question is when to drink it... Well, this might sound stupid but it's true, if you drink this now you'll enjoy the very best of what young, vibrant, Margaret River chardonnay can be. Leave it for a couple of years and you'll get a bigger wine with more overt secondary characteristics. We'll be chucking six in the fridge and six in the cellar, por che no los dos?!