Chardonnay Connection – French & Aussie Favorites - blend of Chardonnay excellence with this premium collection. Featuring top selections from the iconic wine regions of France and Australia, perfect balance of elegance, complexity, and bright flavors. From the crisp and mineral-driven Chardonnays of Burgundy to the creamy and vibrant styles of Australia, each bottle represents the artistry of winemaking. Ideal for Chardonnay enthusiasts seeking variety and quality, this collection is a celebration of two world-renowned Chardonnay-producing nations.
1 x Domaine du Bois Rosier 2021 Pouilly-Fuisse - Burgundy, France
92/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage) 92/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage) 91/100 VertdeVin (2019 vintage) 90/100 Wine Spectator (2019 vintage) Bronze - Andreas Larsson - Tasted (2019 vintage) 92/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
2 Stars - Le Hachette des Vins (2019 vintage) 1 Stars - Le Hachette des Vins (2018 vintage)
James Suckling "Apricots, sliced apples, lemons and cream on the nose. Crushed stones and some yoghurt, too. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy texture. Subtle almond and lemon notes on the finish." (2020 vintage)
James Suckling "Aromas of cooked apple, mango, peach and vanilla. It’s full-bodied and creamy with concentrated, ripe flavors. Lingering lemon curd, almonds and stones on the finish." (2019 vintage)
VertdeVin "The nose is fruity, fresh, and offers good definition, fine gourmandize and precision. There are hints of fresh apple, lychee and slightly citrus (tangerine, quince) combined with hints of white flowers, crunchy berries and a very discreet hint of carambola. The palate is fruity, precise, chiselled and reveals minerality, freshness, sharpness, precision and juiciness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy peach, fleshy nectarine and, more slightly, ripe lemon, combined with hints of lychee and a subtle hint of quenette, white flowers and a very discreet hint of toasted almond in the background, some nutmeg and butter in the aftertaste." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "An opulent white, with a plump texture embracing peach, pear and butterscotch flavors. Brisk acidity gives this shape, while the long finish evokes a lightly tannic feel." (2019 vintage)
Andreas Larsson - Tasted "Bright light golden colour. Pure nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, a hint of almond and fresh butter, no evident oak. Pure and fresh palate with medium weight and volume, a fruitier example with toned down oak, rather ripe yellow fruit notes with some nuttiness, mild extract and a fairly long warm finish." (2019 vintage)
Le Hachette des Vins "Very elegant in its yellow gold color with green reflections, this 2019 delivers intense scents of hawthorn and pine mixed with the mineral notes of the terroir. The palate displays a lot of richness from the attack, volume and intensity. A wine of character, with a promising future." (2019 vintage)
James Suckling "Aromas of cooked apples and honey with hints of hot stone and honeysuckle. Medium body, lovely honey character and freshness. Long and flavorful." (2018 vintage)
Le Hachette des Vins "This brilliant Pouilly-Fuissé with pistachio highlights offers a complex olfaction bringing together woody scents (brioche, butter, nutmeg) with softer notes of peach, apricot and acacia flowers. A lively attack gives way to a supple, floral and long palate." (2018 vintage)
Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.
Pouilly-Fuissé is the home of the finest white wines of southern Burgundy's Maconnais district. They are produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the communes of Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. The typical Pouilly-Fuissé wine is full-bodied, ripe and relatively elegant, with the best examples rivaling the finer wines of the Côte de Beaune. The zone currently covers around 800 hectares (2000 acres) of hillside vineyards, planted on limestone-rich clay soils over a granitic base. The 500m (1640ft) limestone escarpment known as the Roche de Solutré is located at the heart of the appellation's vine-growing area and towers over the vineyards below. The Clos Reyssié in particular is the most famous terroir in the village of Chaintré, one of the four villages in the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.
Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is an historic and highly respected wine region in eastern France. Burgundy wines have long had devout followers throughout the world and continue to do so today. Although Bordeaux produces about four times as much wine every year, Burgundy’s estimated 74,000 acres (30,000ha) of vineyards are considered to be of equal importance, producing some of the most exclusive wines on Earth.
1 x McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay (Organic) 2018 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia
95/100 Campbell Mattinson 91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 97/100 - Top Chardonnay Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2020 vintage) 95/100 The Wine Front (2017 vintage) 93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage) 94/100 The Wine Front (2016 vintage) 94/11 Decanter World Wine Awards (2015 vintage) 97/100 The Real Review (2015 vintage) 96/100 The West Australian Wine Guide 2017 (2015 vintage) 95/100 James Halliday Wine Companion 2017 (2014 vintage) 93/100 The Real Review (2014 vintage)
Bronze - Royal Melbourne Wine Awards 2019 Bronze - 2019 Langton's Margaret River Wine Show Silver - Wine Show of Western Australia 2019
5-star Winery – Halliday Wine Companion
Halliday's Wine Companion Awards 2023 - Top Wineries of 2022 & 2023
Organic
Campbell Mattinson “Elegant power is a good way to describe it. It's flinty but not too much so, fleshed with stone fruit, touched up with meal and green apple, and intricately complex to close. All the while sweet fruit flows. It's an easy wine to get excited over.”
Decanter “Soft and creamy, with intense lemon curd augmenting baking spice, green pineapple and mango skin. Packed and phenolic, with freshness and length.”
The Winemaker “The nose opens with notes of oyster shell, frangipani and sea spray with delicate nashi pear pulp and nectarine. Wild fermentation with full solids provides flinty complexity and extended time on lees adds intrigue and excellent length to the palate. A distinctive saline acidity and attractive chalk-like structure complement the mineral nature of this unique Southern Margaret River vineyard near the Indian Ocean.”
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin "Fruit from the Calgardup Brook vineyard (planted 1997) on coastal limestone loam. All single-vineyard chardonnays are made in the same way here, highlighting the differences in terroir: Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, full solids, wild ferment in barrel (25% new) and 4 months' maturation, partial mlf, fortnightly bâtonnage. Where the Burnside is granitic, mineral and fine, this is pithy, saline and expansive, with layers of cheesecloth and lanolin amongst the ripe stone fruit. More volume and density of flavour than the Burnside (neither here nor there qualitatively, simply an observation), this is sensational. Utterly." (2020 vintage)
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Far out. How good are McHenry Hohnen wines getting? And quite diverse in their feel compared to most from the region. Stellar. Lots of battonage, lots of lees, “I’m just obsessed with flavour” says winemaker Julian Grounds. Righteous. So much to like here. A quietly powerful, detailed chardonnay that shows with citrus, green apple, lashings of ‘mineral’, faint toast and whiffs of peanut/cashew. The palate follows a similar route, powerful in flavour but not stretching the palate with oomph, instead, precise, tight, true and long. Scintillating stuff here." (2017 Vintage)
Nick Butler, The Real Review "An attractive mix of white stone fruits, citrus rind and classy oak. It's creamy on the front palate, which dives into a tart lemon and lime acidity. Bright, fresh and balanced; it's a lovely wine, though lacking the core and fruit weight of warmer ripening seasons." (2017 Vintage)
Nick Stock, James Suckling "Quite savory and elegant chardonnay with aromas of fresh pastry and dry stones, as well as white melon and light peach. The palate has sleek, elegantly cut style with melon and peach here, too, Very crisp, long and elegant. Drink or hold. Screw cap." (2017 Vintage)
Gary Walsh, The Wine Front "White peach, mint nougat, subtle spice, stones and struck match. Medium bodied, cool and flinty, beautiful fine acidity, citrus and a suggestion of lemon curd, with a tight long lemon-laced finish. Great bone structure here, and a fine and exciting wine to drink." (2016 Vintage)
Nick Ryan, The Australian "The coolest of the three sites, feeling the force of the ocean breezes and planted on coastal sand. It shows. The wine is lean, tight and linear, smells of sea spray and the pith of preserved lemons, and hums with a fine, flinty acidity. For now, my pick of the three." (2016 Vintage)
Peter Forrestal, Decanter "Sourced from an estate vineyard in the region's cool south near Witchcliffe, this has restrained power and tightly coiled grapefruit and citrus flavours, before a mouth-puckering finish that lingers." (2015 Vintage)
Ray Jordan, The West Australian Wine Guide 2017 "Another superb wine from this vineyard which always seems to to produce wines of such delicate finesse and fineness. This is right on the money but still with an intensity and persistence that stamps the chardonnay style. The best yet from this vineyard." (2015 Vintage)
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front " We’ve all known that McHenry Hohnen has been a bit of a secret weapon for terrific (chardonnay particularly) Margaret River wines, but with their shift to biodynamic farming and now a new winemaker in Julian Grounds, hold onto your hats. Grounds has done his time at Giant Steps with Steve Flamsteed, and has papal blessings from Flamsteed in this new role. Indeed, word on the street is, many, many people are thrilled for this move. A touch of high end Yarra hits Margs. Nice one. Grounds in his early days has already reached out to say gday, personally, unprompted it felt, which says something about determination and intent. Stay tuned.
Complex bouquet shows stone fruit, green apple, faint flint/struck match, whiff of grilled nuts, faint fern character. Pitch perfect delicate. More assertive to taste with a flood of green apple, savoury oatmeal and nuttiness, gentle cedar spice, cool acidity. Even flow, superb balance, elegance. It’s very, very good, seamless, supple chardonnay. Classic. " (2015 Vintage)
James Halliday "The Calgardup Brook Vineyard lies just inland from the coast, with well weathered sandy, schisty soils; hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed to French oak (20% new), wild-fermented, no mlf, aged on lees. Lemon meringue is a great call for the bouquet, some spice also in the action; elegant white peach flavours give way to bouncy grapefruit zest on the well balanced and long finish." (2014 Vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Light, bright yellow hue and a lifted ethyl acetate aroma, the volatility confirmed by the palate. It has issues. Most drinkers would not identify them, but the VA (volatile acidity) did inhibit the flavour and aroma. Extraordinarily, though, the longer this wine was exposed to the air, the better it tasted. Food (Comte cheese) also helped tame the beast. It soon became delicious. Very dry, nicely concentrated flavour and acidity, layers of complex aromas and flavours, good oak and 'worked' lees characters. A very good wine indeed. Wild ferment VA is forgiven." (2014 Vintage)
James Halliday "Whole bunch-pressed, wild yeast-fermented, matured in French barriques (20% new) with lees contact. Is very focused and tight, its flavours wound up in a ball of fruit, with generic white stone fruit and melon lurking in the shadows." (2013 Vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Medium to full straw-yellow hue. The bouquet is toasty and lightly smoky, attractive and quite complex, with richness and concentration, depth and weight. Indeed, it's an opulent style, full-bodied and generously proportioned. The finish is very long and resonant, partly due to the heat from apparently high alcohol. (it certainly seems higher than the stated 13.5%) This needs food and would cope with strongly flavoured white meat dishes." (2013 Vintage)
James Halliday Wine Companion 2014 "This has the lightest colour of the three, here the soils, just inland from the coast, are sandy and schisty, and well weathered; it is the most intense and elegant, with white stone fruit and grapefruit at its core." (2012 Vintage)
James Halliday Wine Companion 2012 "Bright straw-green; the faintly funky bouquet is complex, an appropriate introduction for a palate with layers of flavour of white peach and fig/cashew ex partial mlf, before glorious grapefruit acidity takes over and drives the wine through to its lingering, pure finish." (2009 Vintage)
McHenry Hohnen was founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focuses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location, which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes. Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays are made using oak and are produced in California, Burgundy, and Australia. Unoaked chardonnays such as Chablis and those produced in Chile, New Zealand, and other parts of France are leaner and often crisp and mineraly, with delicate flavors. By law, if a label says “Chablis,” it must be Chardonnay.
1 x Le Clos Reyssier Premier Cru 2021 Pouilly-Fuisse - Burgundy, France
1 Star - Le Guide Hachette des Vins (2020 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards Gold - Chardonnay-du-Monde (2020 vintage) Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2020 vintage) Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2019 vintage)
Decanter World Wine Awards "Ripe passionfruit, green apple and grapefruit with notes of buttered toast; lively, crisp and textured with a bitter orange finish."
James Suckling "Pretty nose of spiced pears, mangoes, cloves, gun flint and lemon pith. It’s medium-to full-bodied, vibrant and elegantly spiced. Flavorful finish." (2020 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Bright, harmonious and expressive, this white exhibits peach, apple and lime flavors backed by a tangy structure. Balanced and lively, with fine length." (2020 vintage)
VertdeVin "The nose is fresh, fruity and offers a certain racy minerality as well as a fine straightness. There are hints of fresh, fleshy Williams pear, golden apple and slightly kumquat, with a hint of physalis and subtle hints of lemon blossom and racy minerality. The palate is fruity and reveals juiciness, acidity, minerality, good definition, a certain gourmandize, fine tension and accuracy. On the palate this wine expresses notes of tart, juicy kumquat, mesocarp and more lightly crisp golden apple combined with fine touches of lemon blossom, verbena, fine notes of racy, iodine minerality as well as a very discreet hint of toasted almond (in the background) and a subtle touch of zest. Good length."
Le Guide Hachette des Vins "On the nose, aromas of apple, pear and lemon. On the palate, a sharp minerality. An alert and expressive wine that has the build to age well."
Decanter World Wine Awards "Rich, ripe, and oaky with savory, smoky bacon notes. Precise, with pear and white blossom and a grippy saline finish."
James Suckling "Aromas of hawthorn, dried apple, mango and flint. Some custard, too. It’s full-bodied with crisp acidity. Creamy and straightforward." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "A ripe style, this evokes pineapple and butterscotch flavors; a tad soft in structure, but not flabby. Tails off on the finish." (2019 vintage)
Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.
Pouilly-Fuissé is the home of the finest white wines of southern Burgundy's Maconnais district. They are produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the communes of Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. The typical Pouilly-Fuissé wine is full-bodied, ripe and relatively elegant, with the best examples rivaling the finer wines of the Côte de Beaune. The zone currently covers around 800 hectares (2000 acres) of hillside vineyards, planted on limestone-rich clay soils over a granitic base. The 500m (1640ft) limestone escarpment known as the Roche de Solutré is located at the heart of the appellation's vine-growing area and towers over the vineyards below. The Clos Reyssié in particular is the most famous terroir in the village of Chaintré, one of the four villages in the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.
Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is an historic and highly respected wine region in eastern France. Burgundy wines have long had devout followers throughout the world and continue to do so today. Although Bordeaux produces about four times as much wine every year, Burgundy’s estimated 74,000 acres (30,000ha) of vineyards are considered to be of equal importance, producing some of the most exclusive wines on Earth.
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery. The Domaine Pouilly Fuisse Clos Reyssie has been described to be buttery and complex, and is the perfect companion for a meal of chicken or turkey.
1 x Giant Steps Applejack Chardonnay 2018 ~ Yarra Valley, Australia
96/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 95/100 James Suckling 94/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front 92/100 Wine Enthusiast 92/100 The Wine Advocate 90/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 95/100 The Wine Front (2017 Vintage) 92/100 Wine Spectator(2017 Vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards
Halliday Wine Companion Awards, James Halliday " A spotless bouquet and an elegant palate of great length. Stone fruits and melon are threaded through a faint gauze of acidity, oak barely seen. This is an exercise in balance, and the certainty of future greatness."
Decanter World Wine Awards "Restrained, with delicate hints of green apple, grapefruit pith and white peach, while the herbaceous palate has a yellow liquorice finish."
James Suckling "The palate has a smooth, evenly paced and sleek feel. Polished texture and good depth of fresh white peaches and pears....Apples and honeydew melon with pie crust and poached pears in a fresh, attractive mode..."
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Electric and lacy, mouth-watering and ultra fresh. Bright and brisk style really nicely done....Flinty, lean, racy style. Good puckering feel and tight, squeaky race across the palate. Citrus, wet stone, frangipani floral things to sniff on. Stone and flint licks to taste, a squeeze of grapefruit, green apple, pickled ginger, sparkling almost in its transparent whip-crack across the palate. "
The Wine Advocate "It's a medium-bodied but plump and generous offering, with melon and pineapple fruit filling out the silky-textured mid-palate, then easing into a long, citrusy finish."
Wine Enthusiast "...The palate is richly textured and laced with minerals. The wood is present but not overwhelming...Coming from vines 200 meters higher and nine years younger than this producer's other single-vineyard Chardonay, Tarraford, this wine is clearly made in the same vein, but shows distinctive differences. Less fruity, this vintage is initially a touch reductive and oaked, but as it warms in the glass, notes of salted nuts and honey, along with delicate citrus, float to the fore. "
Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world. Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and have been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.
Owner Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia). Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne. Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 by highly respected viticulturist Ray Guerin Today it is meticulously managed by his son Mark.
Applejack Vineyard is situated in the Upper Yarra Valley, to the south-east of the traditional valley floor. The higher altitudes result in cooler growing conditions - ideal for Pinot Noir. Applejack Vineyard is located on a dramatic, north-east-facing slope with close-planted vines. This vineyard was purchased by Phil Sexton in 2013.
1 x McHenry Hohnen Hazels Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia
97/100 Wine Pilot, Angus Hughson 95/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin 95/100 The Real Review, Aaron Brasher 91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 97/100 - Top Chardonnay Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2020 vintage) 91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2018 vintage) 96/100 The Real Review (2018 vintage) 94/100 Nick Stock (2017 vintage) 95/100 Huon Hooke (2016 vintage) 95/100 James Halliday (2016 vintage) 93/100 The Wine Front (2016 vintage)
5 Star Winery - James Halliday (2016 vintage)
"Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023"
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "All 3 single-vineyard chardonnays are made in the same manner: hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented in barrel (25% new) with full solids and partial mlf. White spice, nectarine, coastal spray and crushed macadamia on the nose. The palate is where the mlf is evident; it creates a creamy, buttery texture that sits alongside the pink grapefruit and mandarin pith. Blossom and red apple skin round out the palate, the saline acidity forms curls of sensation as it fades."
Wine Pilot, Angus Hughson "Bright mid straw and a beautifully reserved expression of premium Margaret River Chardonnay. There is impressive aromatic precision and focus with fruits in the citrus and floral spectrum and nougat-scented oak. Also some flinty/smoky leesy elements add superb detail. It is then dry, taut and acid driven with palpable palate tension but also a silkiness and a chalky texture; love the balance and fruit purity as it unfurls. Finally, a picture of refinement and balance with a supremely long finish accented by doughy, citrus and floral complexity. This builds beautifully in the glass over time too which bodes very well for the future."
The Real Review, Aaron Brasher "Quite lifted aromas of nectarine, white flowers, nuts, bacon fat and vanilla. Powerful on the palate—white stone fruit, guava and creamy oak are all at play. Acidity is fine and focused and manages the powerful fruit admirably. There's some grip and texture that adds to the mouth-feel and the length is impressive."
Tasting Notes "Mandarin peal, white blossom and ruby grapefruit aromas give way to stone fruit and a seductive nougat element. Creamy, nutty and textured, this Chardonnay is both powerful in fruit concentration and restrained by a precise acid line. A layered wine with persistence, power and grace and a true representation of this south Margaret River vineyard just inland from the coast."
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin "I've tasted this wine blind in pretty esteemed company (several times), the likes of Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Genevrières etc, and while it has come just under those wines in ranking, it has more than stood its ground, and has earned my unwavering respect in doing so. Powerful, layered, fragrant, balanced, rippling and exciting. Back up the car – this is too cheap currently." (2020 vintage)
Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Pale to medium straw-yellow colour in the glass. The nose lifts with flint minerality, bacon fat and nectarines. The palate explodes with power, but almost instantaneously that power is compressed again by incredibly taut acid which brings laser-like focus and drives it very long. As it slowly unfurls softer savoury elements, smoke and nuts show themselves, but that acid drive is never far away. A serious exercise in power and precision." (2018 vintage)
Nick Stock "Striking purity of pithy lemon and lime aromas here with some gentle, grilled-hazelnut complexity at the edges. The palate has a super tight, sleek and mouthwatering style with fresh lemons and grapefruit, as well as white peaches in abundance. Impressive. Drink or hold. Screw cap." (2017 vintage)
Huon Hooke "...invested with delicious complexing notes that make it much more than a simple fruit wine. Lovely. Light yellow hue, fresh and clean; the bouquet is cashew-nutty, creamy and lightly smoky … becoming cleaner and more spicy with air. It's very fresh and vibrant with intense lemon juice flavour...." (2016 Vintage)
James Halliday “A different expression of funk that backs off somewhat having made its point, and moves into elegant mode. Nice wine.” (2016 vintage)
Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen, and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focus on crafting site expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined cabernet sauvignon and intensely citrusy chardonnay varieties, the region now produces high quality Semillon-Sauvignon blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays are made using oak and are produced in California, Burgundy, and Australia. Unoaked chardonnays such as Chablis and those produced in Chile, New Zealand, and other parts of France are leaner and often crisp and mineraly, with delicate flavors. By law, if a label says “Chablis,” it must be Chardonnay.
1 x Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 ~ Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
95/100 The Wine Front 94/100 Wine Spectator 93/100 Nick's Wine Merchants 95/100 James Halliday (2018 vintage) 94/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage) 94/100 Wine Spectator (2018 vintage) 93/100 The Wine Front (2018 vintage) 94/100 The Wine Front (2017 vintage) 92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2016 vintage) 96/100 The Wine Front (2015 vintage)
Mike Bennie (The Wine Front) "Huge mineral feel, indeed, you’d paste this into the section under ‘Wine; Minerality’ in an encyclopaedia. All pebbles and talc in perfume, sure, some citrus, citrus blossom, faint bread dough notes, but you’re drawn to the flint and element rocky notes primarily. The palate does the same, flint, wet slate, smooth pebbles rolled around the palate, olive brine, green apple juice and lime comes in too. Feels quite firm despite a sense of juiciness and being dart-shaped and long. Finishes with the faintest kiss of salted nuttiness. Just beautiful. Poised and fine."
The Wine Spectator "Stylish and memorable, with a touch of salted caramel adding a rich, savory edge, yet the core is pure and juicy, featuring lively Meyer lemon, Asian pear and lime sherbet flavors that show wonderful transparency and intensity, followed by candied ginger notes on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 530 cases made, 200 cases imported."
James Suckling - “A very composed and attractively elegant chardonnay that has an impeccably smooth array of lemon and peach-sorbet aromas with very subtle, fresh-nutty notes. The palate has such smooth build. Really refined and elegant.” (2018 vintage)
The Wine Spectator - "Mouthwatering and precise, with a lovely blend of Asian pear, green apple and mandarin orange flavors that mingle with candied ginger peel, spice and floral details." (2018 vintage)
Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world.
Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows, and has been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.
Owner Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia).
Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne. Located in a protected valley, Tarraford Vineyard has a discrete microclimate that is cooler than neighbouring sites.
Chardonnay Connection – French & Aussie Favorites - blend of Chardonnay excellence with this premium collection. Featuring top selections from the iconic wine regions of France and Australia, perfect balance of elegance, complexity, and bright flavors. From the crisp and mineral-driven Chardonnays of Burgundy to the creamy and vibrant styles of Australia, each bottle represents the artistry of winemaking. Ideal for Chardonnay enthusiasts seeking variety and quality, this collection is a celebration of two world-renowned Chardonnay-producing nations.
1 x Domaine du Bois Rosier 2021 Pouilly-Fuisse - Burgundy, France
92/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage) 92/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage) 91/100 VertdeVin (2019 vintage) 90/100 Wine Spectator (2019 vintage) Bronze - Andreas Larsson - Tasted (2019 vintage) 92/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
2 Stars - Le Hachette des Vins (2019 vintage) 1 Stars - Le Hachette des Vins (2018 vintage)
James Suckling "Apricots, sliced apples, lemons and cream on the nose. Crushed stones and some yoghurt, too. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy texture. Subtle almond and lemon notes on the finish." (2020 vintage)
James Suckling "Aromas of cooked apple, mango, peach and vanilla. It’s full-bodied and creamy with concentrated, ripe flavors. Lingering lemon curd, almonds and stones on the finish." (2019 vintage)
VertdeVin "The nose is fruity, fresh, and offers good definition, fine gourmandize and precision. There are hints of fresh apple, lychee and slightly citrus (tangerine, quince) combined with hints of white flowers, crunchy berries and a very discreet hint of carambola. The palate is fruity, precise, chiselled and reveals minerality, freshness, sharpness, precision and juiciness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy peach, fleshy nectarine and, more slightly, ripe lemon, combined with hints of lychee and a subtle hint of quenette, white flowers and a very discreet hint of toasted almond in the background, some nutmeg and butter in the aftertaste." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "An opulent white, with a plump texture embracing peach, pear and butterscotch flavors. Brisk acidity gives this shape, while the long finish evokes a lightly tannic feel." (2019 vintage)
Andreas Larsson - Tasted "Bright light golden colour. Pure nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, a hint of almond and fresh butter, no evident oak. Pure and fresh palate with medium weight and volume, a fruitier example with toned down oak, rather ripe yellow fruit notes with some nuttiness, mild extract and a fairly long warm finish." (2019 vintage)
Le Hachette des Vins "Very elegant in its yellow gold color with green reflections, this 2019 delivers intense scents of hawthorn and pine mixed with the mineral notes of the terroir. The palate displays a lot of richness from the attack, volume and intensity. A wine of character, with a promising future." (2019 vintage)
James Suckling "Aromas of cooked apples and honey with hints of hot stone and honeysuckle. Medium body, lovely honey character and freshness. Long and flavorful." (2018 vintage)
Le Hachette des Vins "This brilliant Pouilly-Fuissé with pistachio highlights offers a complex olfaction bringing together woody scents (brioche, butter, nutmeg) with softer notes of peach, apricot and acacia flowers. A lively attack gives way to a supple, floral and long palate." (2018 vintage)
Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.
Pouilly-Fuissé is the home of the finest white wines of southern Burgundy's Maconnais district. They are produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the communes of Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. The typical Pouilly-Fuissé wine is full-bodied, ripe and relatively elegant, with the best examples rivaling the finer wines of the Côte de Beaune. The zone currently covers around 800 hectares (2000 acres) of hillside vineyards, planted on limestone-rich clay soils over a granitic base. The 500m (1640ft) limestone escarpment known as the Roche de Solutré is located at the heart of the appellation's vine-growing area and towers over the vineyards below. The Clos Reyssié in particular is the most famous terroir in the village of Chaintré, one of the four villages in the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.
Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is an historic and highly respected wine region in eastern France. Burgundy wines have long had devout followers throughout the world and continue to do so today. Although Bordeaux produces about four times as much wine every year, Burgundy’s estimated 74,000 acres (30,000ha) of vineyards are considered to be of equal importance, producing some of the most exclusive wines on Earth.
1 x McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Brook Vineyard Chardonnay (Organic) 2018 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia
95/100 Campbell Mattinson 91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 97/100 - Top Chardonnay Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2020 vintage) 95/100 The Wine Front (2017 vintage) 93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage) 94/100 The Wine Front (2016 vintage) 94/11 Decanter World Wine Awards (2015 vintage) 97/100 The Real Review (2015 vintage) 96/100 The West Australian Wine Guide 2017 (2015 vintage) 95/100 James Halliday Wine Companion 2017 (2014 vintage) 93/100 The Real Review (2014 vintage)
Bronze - Royal Melbourne Wine Awards 2019 Bronze - 2019 Langton's Margaret River Wine Show Silver - Wine Show of Western Australia 2019
5-star Winery – Halliday Wine Companion
Halliday's Wine Companion Awards 2023 - Top Wineries of 2022 & 2023
Organic
Campbell Mattinson “Elegant power is a good way to describe it. It's flinty but not too much so, fleshed with stone fruit, touched up with meal and green apple, and intricately complex to close. All the while sweet fruit flows. It's an easy wine to get excited over.”
Decanter “Soft and creamy, with intense lemon curd augmenting baking spice, green pineapple and mango skin. Packed and phenolic, with freshness and length.”
The Winemaker “The nose opens with notes of oyster shell, frangipani and sea spray with delicate nashi pear pulp and nectarine. Wild fermentation with full solids provides flinty complexity and extended time on lees adds intrigue and excellent length to the palate. A distinctive saline acidity and attractive chalk-like structure complement the mineral nature of this unique Southern Margaret River vineyard near the Indian Ocean.”
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin "Fruit from the Calgardup Brook vineyard (planted 1997) on coastal limestone loam. All single-vineyard chardonnays are made in the same way here, highlighting the differences in terroir: Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, full solids, wild ferment in barrel (25% new) and 4 months' maturation, partial mlf, fortnightly bâtonnage. Where the Burnside is granitic, mineral and fine, this is pithy, saline and expansive, with layers of cheesecloth and lanolin amongst the ripe stone fruit. More volume and density of flavour than the Burnside (neither here nor there qualitatively, simply an observation), this is sensational. Utterly." (2020 vintage)
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Far out. How good are McHenry Hohnen wines getting? And quite diverse in their feel compared to most from the region. Stellar. Lots of battonage, lots of lees, “I’m just obsessed with flavour” says winemaker Julian Grounds. Righteous. So much to like here. A quietly powerful, detailed chardonnay that shows with citrus, green apple, lashings of ‘mineral’, faint toast and whiffs of peanut/cashew. The palate follows a similar route, powerful in flavour but not stretching the palate with oomph, instead, precise, tight, true and long. Scintillating stuff here." (2017 Vintage)
Nick Butler, The Real Review "An attractive mix of white stone fruits, citrus rind and classy oak. It's creamy on the front palate, which dives into a tart lemon and lime acidity. Bright, fresh and balanced; it's a lovely wine, though lacking the core and fruit weight of warmer ripening seasons." (2017 Vintage)
Nick Stock, James Suckling "Quite savory and elegant chardonnay with aromas of fresh pastry and dry stones, as well as white melon and light peach. The palate has sleek, elegantly cut style with melon and peach here, too, Very crisp, long and elegant. Drink or hold. Screw cap." (2017 Vintage)
Gary Walsh, The Wine Front "White peach, mint nougat, subtle spice, stones and struck match. Medium bodied, cool and flinty, beautiful fine acidity, citrus and a suggestion of lemon curd, with a tight long lemon-laced finish. Great bone structure here, and a fine and exciting wine to drink." (2016 Vintage)
Nick Ryan, The Australian "The coolest of the three sites, feeling the force of the ocean breezes and planted on coastal sand. It shows. The wine is lean, tight and linear, smells of sea spray and the pith of preserved lemons, and hums with a fine, flinty acidity. For now, my pick of the three." (2016 Vintage)
Peter Forrestal, Decanter "Sourced from an estate vineyard in the region's cool south near Witchcliffe, this has restrained power and tightly coiled grapefruit and citrus flavours, before a mouth-puckering finish that lingers." (2015 Vintage)
Ray Jordan, The West Australian Wine Guide 2017 "Another superb wine from this vineyard which always seems to to produce wines of such delicate finesse and fineness. This is right on the money but still with an intensity and persistence that stamps the chardonnay style. The best yet from this vineyard." (2015 Vintage)
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front " We’ve all known that McHenry Hohnen has been a bit of a secret weapon for terrific (chardonnay particularly) Margaret River wines, but with their shift to biodynamic farming and now a new winemaker in Julian Grounds, hold onto your hats. Grounds has done his time at Giant Steps with Steve Flamsteed, and has papal blessings from Flamsteed in this new role. Indeed, word on the street is, many, many people are thrilled for this move. A touch of high end Yarra hits Margs. Nice one. Grounds in his early days has already reached out to say gday, personally, unprompted it felt, which says something about determination and intent. Stay tuned.
Complex bouquet shows stone fruit, green apple, faint flint/struck match, whiff of grilled nuts, faint fern character. Pitch perfect delicate. More assertive to taste with a flood of green apple, savoury oatmeal and nuttiness, gentle cedar spice, cool acidity. Even flow, superb balance, elegance. It’s very, very good, seamless, supple chardonnay. Classic. " (2015 Vintage)
James Halliday "The Calgardup Brook Vineyard lies just inland from the coast, with well weathered sandy, schisty soils; hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed to French oak (20% new), wild-fermented, no mlf, aged on lees. Lemon meringue is a great call for the bouquet, some spice also in the action; elegant white peach flavours give way to bouncy grapefruit zest on the well balanced and long finish." (2014 Vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Light, bright yellow hue and a lifted ethyl acetate aroma, the volatility confirmed by the palate. It has issues. Most drinkers would not identify them, but the VA (volatile acidity) did inhibit the flavour and aroma. Extraordinarily, though, the longer this wine was exposed to the air, the better it tasted. Food (Comte cheese) also helped tame the beast. It soon became delicious. Very dry, nicely concentrated flavour and acidity, layers of complex aromas and flavours, good oak and 'worked' lees characters. A very good wine indeed. Wild ferment VA is forgiven." (2014 Vintage)
James Halliday "Whole bunch-pressed, wild yeast-fermented, matured in French barriques (20% new) with lees contact. Is very focused and tight, its flavours wound up in a ball of fruit, with generic white stone fruit and melon lurking in the shadows." (2013 Vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Medium to full straw-yellow hue. The bouquet is toasty and lightly smoky, attractive and quite complex, with richness and concentration, depth and weight. Indeed, it's an opulent style, full-bodied and generously proportioned. The finish is very long and resonant, partly due to the heat from apparently high alcohol. (it certainly seems higher than the stated 13.5%) This needs food and would cope with strongly flavoured white meat dishes." (2013 Vintage)
James Halliday Wine Companion 2014 "This has the lightest colour of the three, here the soils, just inland from the coast, are sandy and schisty, and well weathered; it is the most intense and elegant, with white stone fruit and grapefruit at its core." (2012 Vintage)
James Halliday Wine Companion 2012 "Bright straw-green; the faintly funky bouquet is complex, an appropriate introduction for a palate with layers of flavour of white peach and fig/cashew ex partial mlf, before glorious grapefruit acidity takes over and drives the wine through to its lingering, pure finish." (2009 Vintage)
McHenry Hohnen was founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focuses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location, which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes. Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays are made using oak and are produced in California, Burgundy, and Australia. Unoaked chardonnays such as Chablis and those produced in Chile, New Zealand, and other parts of France are leaner and often crisp and mineraly, with delicate flavors. By law, if a label says “Chablis,” it must be Chardonnay.
1 x Le Clos Reyssier Premier Cru 2021 Pouilly-Fuisse - Burgundy, France
1 Star - Le Guide Hachette des Vins (2020 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards Gold - Chardonnay-du-Monde (2020 vintage) Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2020 vintage) Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2019 vintage)
Decanter World Wine Awards "Ripe passionfruit, green apple and grapefruit with notes of buttered toast; lively, crisp and textured with a bitter orange finish."
James Suckling "Pretty nose of spiced pears, mangoes, cloves, gun flint and lemon pith. It’s medium-to full-bodied, vibrant and elegantly spiced. Flavorful finish." (2020 vintage)
Wine Spectator "Bright, harmonious and expressive, this white exhibits peach, apple and lime flavors backed by a tangy structure. Balanced and lively, with fine length." (2020 vintage)
VertdeVin "The nose is fresh, fruity and offers a certain racy minerality as well as a fine straightness. There are hints of fresh, fleshy Williams pear, golden apple and slightly kumquat, with a hint of physalis and subtle hints of lemon blossom and racy minerality. The palate is fruity and reveals juiciness, acidity, minerality, good definition, a certain gourmandize, fine tension and accuracy. On the palate this wine expresses notes of tart, juicy kumquat, mesocarp and more lightly crisp golden apple combined with fine touches of lemon blossom, verbena, fine notes of racy, iodine minerality as well as a very discreet hint of toasted almond (in the background) and a subtle touch of zest. Good length."
Le Guide Hachette des Vins "On the nose, aromas of apple, pear and lemon. On the palate, a sharp minerality. An alert and expressive wine that has the build to age well."
Decanter World Wine Awards "Rich, ripe, and oaky with savory, smoky bacon notes. Precise, with pear and white blossom and a grippy saline finish."
James Suckling "Aromas of hawthorn, dried apple, mango and flint. Some custard, too. It’s full-bodied with crisp acidity. Creamy and straightforward." (2019 vintage)
Wine Spectator "A ripe style, this evokes pineapple and butterscotch flavors; a tad soft in structure, but not flabby. Tails off on the finish." (2019 vintage)
Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.
Pouilly-Fuissé is the home of the finest white wines of southern Burgundy's Maconnais district. They are produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the communes of Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. The typical Pouilly-Fuissé wine is full-bodied, ripe and relatively elegant, with the best examples rivaling the finer wines of the Côte de Beaune. The zone currently covers around 800 hectares (2000 acres) of hillside vineyards, planted on limestone-rich clay soils over a granitic base. The 500m (1640ft) limestone escarpment known as the Roche de Solutré is located at the heart of the appellation's vine-growing area and towers over the vineyards below. The Clos Reyssié in particular is the most famous terroir in the village of Chaintré, one of the four villages in the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.
Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is an historic and highly respected wine region in eastern France. Burgundy wines have long had devout followers throughout the world and continue to do so today. Although Bordeaux produces about four times as much wine every year, Burgundy’s estimated 74,000 acres (30,000ha) of vineyards are considered to be of equal importance, producing some of the most exclusive wines on Earth.
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery. The Domaine Pouilly Fuisse Clos Reyssie has been described to be buttery and complex, and is the perfect companion for a meal of chicken or turkey.
1 x Giant Steps Applejack Chardonnay 2018 ~ Yarra Valley, Australia
96/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 95/100 James Suckling 94/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front 92/100 Wine Enthusiast 92/100 The Wine Advocate 90/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 95/100 The Wine Front (2017 Vintage) 92/100 Wine Spectator(2017 Vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards
Halliday Wine Companion Awards, James Halliday " A spotless bouquet and an elegant palate of great length. Stone fruits and melon are threaded through a faint gauze of acidity, oak barely seen. This is an exercise in balance, and the certainty of future greatness."
Decanter World Wine Awards "Restrained, with delicate hints of green apple, grapefruit pith and white peach, while the herbaceous palate has a yellow liquorice finish."
James Suckling "The palate has a smooth, evenly paced and sleek feel. Polished texture and good depth of fresh white peaches and pears....Apples and honeydew melon with pie crust and poached pears in a fresh, attractive mode..."
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Electric and lacy, mouth-watering and ultra fresh. Bright and brisk style really nicely done....Flinty, lean, racy style. Good puckering feel and tight, squeaky race across the palate. Citrus, wet stone, frangipani floral things to sniff on. Stone and flint licks to taste, a squeeze of grapefruit, green apple, pickled ginger, sparkling almost in its transparent whip-crack across the palate. "
The Wine Advocate "It's a medium-bodied but plump and generous offering, with melon and pineapple fruit filling out the silky-textured mid-palate, then easing into a long, citrusy finish."
Wine Enthusiast "...The palate is richly textured and laced with minerals. The wood is present but not overwhelming...Coming from vines 200 meters higher and nine years younger than this producer's other single-vineyard Chardonay, Tarraford, this wine is clearly made in the same vein, but shows distinctive differences. Less fruity, this vintage is initially a touch reductive and oaked, but as it warms in the glass, notes of salted nuts and honey, along with delicate citrus, float to the fore. "
Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world. Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and have been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.
Owner Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia). Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne. Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 by highly respected viticulturist Ray Guerin Today it is meticulously managed by his son Mark.
Applejack Vineyard is situated in the Upper Yarra Valley, to the south-east of the traditional valley floor. The higher altitudes result in cooler growing conditions - ideal for Pinot Noir. Applejack Vineyard is located on a dramatic, north-east-facing slope with close-planted vines. This vineyard was purchased by Phil Sexton in 2013.
1 x McHenry Hohnen Hazels Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia
97/100 Wine Pilot, Angus Hughson 95/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin 95/100 The Real Review, Aaron Brasher 91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 97/100 - Top Chardonnay Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2020 vintage) 91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2018 vintage) 96/100 The Real Review (2018 vintage) 94/100 Nick Stock (2017 vintage) 95/100 Huon Hooke (2016 vintage) 95/100 James Halliday (2016 vintage) 93/100 The Wine Front (2016 vintage)
5 Star Winery - James Halliday (2016 vintage)
"Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023"
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "All 3 single-vineyard chardonnays are made in the same manner: hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented in barrel (25% new) with full solids and partial mlf. White spice, nectarine, coastal spray and crushed macadamia on the nose. The palate is where the mlf is evident; it creates a creamy, buttery texture that sits alongside the pink grapefruit and mandarin pith. Blossom and red apple skin round out the palate, the saline acidity forms curls of sensation as it fades."
Wine Pilot, Angus Hughson "Bright mid straw and a beautifully reserved expression of premium Margaret River Chardonnay. There is impressive aromatic precision and focus with fruits in the citrus and floral spectrum and nougat-scented oak. Also some flinty/smoky leesy elements add superb detail. It is then dry, taut and acid driven with palpable palate tension but also a silkiness and a chalky texture; love the balance and fruit purity as it unfurls. Finally, a picture of refinement and balance with a supremely long finish accented by doughy, citrus and floral complexity. This builds beautifully in the glass over time too which bodes very well for the future."
The Real Review, Aaron Brasher "Quite lifted aromas of nectarine, white flowers, nuts, bacon fat and vanilla. Powerful on the palate—white stone fruit, guava and creamy oak are all at play. Acidity is fine and focused and manages the powerful fruit admirably. There's some grip and texture that adds to the mouth-feel and the length is impressive."
Tasting Notes "Mandarin peal, white blossom and ruby grapefruit aromas give way to stone fruit and a seductive nougat element. Creamy, nutty and textured, this Chardonnay is both powerful in fruit concentration and restrained by a precise acid line. A layered wine with persistence, power and grace and a true representation of this south Margaret River vineyard just inland from the coast."
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin "I've tasted this wine blind in pretty esteemed company (several times), the likes of Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Genevrières etc, and while it has come just under those wines in ranking, it has more than stood its ground, and has earned my unwavering respect in doing so. Powerful, layered, fragrant, balanced, rippling and exciting. Back up the car – this is too cheap currently." (2020 vintage)
Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Pale to medium straw-yellow colour in the glass. The nose lifts with flint minerality, bacon fat and nectarines. The palate explodes with power, but almost instantaneously that power is compressed again by incredibly taut acid which brings laser-like focus and drives it very long. As it slowly unfurls softer savoury elements, smoke and nuts show themselves, but that acid drive is never far away. A serious exercise in power and precision." (2018 vintage)
Nick Stock "Striking purity of pithy lemon and lime aromas here with some gentle, grilled-hazelnut complexity at the edges. The palate has a super tight, sleek and mouthwatering style with fresh lemons and grapefruit, as well as white peaches in abundance. Impressive. Drink or hold. Screw cap." (2017 vintage)
Huon Hooke "...invested with delicious complexing notes that make it much more than a simple fruit wine. Lovely. Light yellow hue, fresh and clean; the bouquet is cashew-nutty, creamy and lightly smoky … becoming cleaner and more spicy with air. It's very fresh and vibrant with intense lemon juice flavour...." (2016 Vintage)
James Halliday “A different expression of funk that backs off somewhat having made its point, and moves into elegant mode. Nice wine.” (2016 vintage)
Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen, and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focus on crafting site expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined cabernet sauvignon and intensely citrusy chardonnay varieties, the region now produces high quality Semillon-Sauvignon blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays are made using oak and are produced in California, Burgundy, and Australia. Unoaked chardonnays such as Chablis and those produced in Chile, New Zealand, and other parts of France are leaner and often crisp and mineraly, with delicate flavors. By law, if a label says “Chablis,” it must be Chardonnay.
1 x Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 ~ Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
95/100 The Wine Front 94/100 Wine Spectator 93/100 Nick's Wine Merchants 95/100 James Halliday (2018 vintage) 94/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage) 94/100 Wine Spectator (2018 vintage) 93/100 The Wine Front (2018 vintage) 94/100 The Wine Front (2017 vintage) 92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2016 vintage) 96/100 The Wine Front (2015 vintage)
Mike Bennie (The Wine Front) "Huge mineral feel, indeed, you’d paste this into the section under ‘Wine; Minerality’ in an encyclopaedia. All pebbles and talc in perfume, sure, some citrus, citrus blossom, faint bread dough notes, but you’re drawn to the flint and element rocky notes primarily. The palate does the same, flint, wet slate, smooth pebbles rolled around the palate, olive brine, green apple juice and lime comes in too. Feels quite firm despite a sense of juiciness and being dart-shaped and long. Finishes with the faintest kiss of salted nuttiness. Just beautiful. Poised and fine."
The Wine Spectator "Stylish and memorable, with a touch of salted caramel adding a rich, savory edge, yet the core is pure and juicy, featuring lively Meyer lemon, Asian pear and lime sherbet flavors that show wonderful transparency and intensity, followed by candied ginger notes on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 530 cases made, 200 cases imported."
James Suckling - “A very composed and attractively elegant chardonnay that has an impeccably smooth array of lemon and peach-sorbet aromas with very subtle, fresh-nutty notes. The palate has such smooth build. Really refined and elegant.” (2018 vintage)
The Wine Spectator - "Mouthwatering and precise, with a lovely blend of Asian pear, green apple and mandarin orange flavors that mingle with candied ginger peel, spice and floral details." (2018 vintage)
Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world.
Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows, and has been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.
Owner Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia).
Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne. Located in a protected valley, Tarraford Vineyard has a discrete microclimate that is cooler than neighbouring sites.
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