Macedon Ranges Chardonnay 2021

From four vineyard sites in the Macedon Ranges. Excellent wine. Both complex and intense and with the persistence it deserves. Concentrated yellow stonefruit flavours meet nougat, preserved lemon, celery, custard and florals. The winemakers hands are on the wine but the fruit has the power and drive to free it. Super good. One sip and you know that you’re onto something; it has that immediate impact, that character, and it maintains it.

This excellent example of the modern Australian Chardonnay style already has a lot going for it at this young age thanks to its delicious vibrancy and fruit energy. It is bursting with precise melon, citrus and sherbet aromas well matched to reserved, cinnamon scented oak. The palate is then well composed, with mouth filling citrus fruits tightly wound by tangy acidity, some buttery, lemon curd nuances just helping to fill out the package. It’s a tight wine right now and really needs a couple of years to flower and build a bit more texture.

Fruit from three cool sites creates a balanced, distinct wine with plenty of flavour and enjoyment, too. Kickstarts with plush, ripe stone fruit dusted in powdered ginger, glacé lime and some lemon zest. It’s full bodied and rich with layers of creamy lees and no shortage of texture. You’d call it luscious, yet there’s acidity levelling everything out.