The Yarra Valley is responsible for many of Australia’s finest Chardonnays, and its variations in soil and microclimates, as well as winemaking approaches, ensure considerable diversity. The best wines are textured, focused, intense, and yet elegant, with longevity key. Stone-fruit notes, especially of peaches, are not uncommon.
Giant Steps
Established by Phil Sexton and under the steady but talented stewardship of Steve Flamsteed and, now, Melanie Chester, Giant Steps focuses on single-vineyard wines, with the Sexton Vineyard considered its pinnacle for Chardonnay.
Winemaking has traditionally seen whole-bunch pressing into puncheons for natural fermentation. The fruit/juice is handled oxidatively at that stage with no SO2, but after fermentation Giant Steps treats the wine “very reductively, with no stirring.” Changes over the past two decades “include full solids fermentation, larger-format oak vessels, fermenting in vessels other than oak (ceramic and concrete), more reductive handling of finished wine and super-oxidative handling of juice, and embracing the wild fermentation with all the trials and tribulations that brings.”
In the vineyard, they have moved to increase the space between rows rather than adopting close planting, while carefully addressing soil health and under-vine and mid-row management. All Chardonnays are fermented in French oak puncheons, 15% new. They look to Mercurey, Taransaud, and Dargaud & Jaiglé but have evolved to focus more and more on the “savory toastiness of the Mercurey oak.” Among the questions posed to winemakers was their preference of closure—cork or screwcap. The response here was pretty much universal across the industry: “Screwcap, no questions.”
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Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
Near-transparent lemon, the wine has serious concentration, with notes of nectarines, orange rind, spices, honeysuckle, and bergamot. Full of life, with good length and balance; there is impressive and alluring elegance throughout. Enjoy for the next six to eight years. | 95
Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
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Grapefruit and lemon abound here on the nose, along with notes of mandarins, matchsticks, hazelnuts, macadamia, gunflint, grapefruit, and a flick of beeswax. Citrus notes linger appealingly along, with a line of fresh acidity. There is early complexity evident, and we can expect much from this wine in the coming years. Eight to ten years. | 94
Levantine Hill
One of the more impressive wineries on the Mornington Peninsula, Levantine Hill is a place where you know they will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of excellence. Highly respected and experienced winemaker Paul Bridgeman was brought in to ensure this. When it comes to Chardonnay, the aim here is “for a more elegant middle ground, where body, flavor, and palate weight can coexist, still with great length and complexity on the palate, and alongside an inherent food-friendliness.” The “ultra-premium” Katherine’s Paddock Chardonnay is named for the founders’ daughter.
The estate operates with a range of clones, including I10V5, P58, Mendoza, Bernard 96, and Bernard 95. Fermentation and maturation are in French oak, a range of different formats and from different cooperages. Maturation is normally for 9–11 months, and a proportion of the oak will be new.
Katherine’s Paddock Chardonnay 2019
Even with a few years under its belt, this thrilling Chardonnay from some of the highest vineyards in the Yarra is still fresh, clean, and bright. The balance is exemplary and the wine focused, combining power with elegance. There is an array of aromas, with citrusy notes to the fore, most notably lemon and grapefruit, along with ginger, floral, and stone-fruit notes. A seductive texture, with hints of oatmeal; the oak integration is immaculate, and the wine has at least a decade of providing pleasure in front of it. A pristine Chardonnay of complexity and refinement, this shines a light on just how good wines from the Yarra Valley can be. | 97
Yarra Yering
After many years with Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley, Sarah Crowe landed in one of the hot seats of Australian winemaking. She is now chief winemaker at the famous Yarra Yering winery, established by Bailey Carrodus, and in most minds she has managed to raise the wines to hitherto unattained levels. The first vintage of Chardonnay released at the estate was the 1981; prior to that, the fruit from the young vines was blended with Semillon.
Sarah’s view of Australian Chardonnay is that it “should taste of the place where it was grown. There is a real respect for the fruit, and the concept of terroir and sense of place are paramount—winemaking should play a supporting role and take a backseat. They are elegant yet detailed wines, ethereal and mouthwatering. You want more of it but don’t know why.” This is what makes her Chardonnay unique. It simply cannot be made anywhere else. Sarah notes that they get the “Yarra Valley pillowy fruit, wonderfully gentle yet refreshing. Being a warmer site, we get decent ripeness, so I try to sit on the fence between stone fruits and citrus, playing with both profiles on the palate.”
The basis of Sarah’s wines comes from the original 1969 plantings, which were supplemented in 2012. One change she has made is that malolactic fermentation is now a “winemaking choice based on seasonal factors rather than a stylistic choice.” This came about because, in the past, the wines were not filtered. Malolactic fermentation was employed in an effort to stabilize the wines. She has introduced filtration, giving her the option. She has also moved from basket presses to airbags. The use of oak is now more restrained, with a lighter toast.
Chardonnay 2023
This is from the vineyard planted in 1969. The color is still a crystalline lemon. Fresh, focused, pristine, and poised, this is an exquisitely well-balanced Chardonnay, exuding endless elegance and with such a lingering finish. Peaches, lemon curd, florals, and the merest hint of oak all mingle effortlessly and stay with you for ages. Yet surely its best is still to come. Ten to 12 years. A stunning Chardonnay. | 96
Chardonnay 2015
With a decade under its belt already, this wine surely has at least another decade ahead of it. The nose reveals notes of nectarines, lemongrass, jasmine, white peaches, glacé ginger, florals, and spices. Finely crafted, with superb balance and impressive length; and there is a creamy texture that never wavers. | 95
Australian Chardonnay: The quintessential grape
