McHenry Hohnen Burnside Chardonnay (Organic) 2018 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia

96/100 Campbell Mattinson 
90/100 Stuart Knox (The Real Review)
96/100 Mike Bennie (2017 vintage)
94/100 Steven Creber (2017 vintage)
94/100 Nick Stock (2017 vintage)
94/100 Ray Jordan (2017 Vintage)
97/100 Ray Jordan, The West Australian (2016 vintage)
95/100 Mike Bennie, Wine Business Magazine (2016 vintage)
95/100 Gary Walsh, Winefront (2016 vintage)
92/100 Huan Hooke (2016 vintage)

Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards
Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards (2014 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2013 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2012 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2011 vintage)
5 Star Winery - James Halliday

Halliday's Wine Companion Awards 2023 - Top Wineries of 2022 & 2023

Campbell Mattinson "...There's a pure, strong drive of acidity running from start to finish too. It's a top drawer release. Grown on vines planted in '81. It's a flinty, funky chardonnay on the one hand, and powerful and long on the other. This really does establish its quality in emphatic terms. Nectarine, fig, grapefruit, grilled nut and spice character drive through the wine's more matchsticky notes."

Stuart Knox, The Real Review "Light straw-yellow colour. A vigorous nose of yellow nectarines and distinct reductive notes. Enters with a deep and muscular palate. Ripe stone fruits, and honey roast nuts fill the mouth. There's ample intensity, acidity does what it can to keep it driving long but it just loses a little focus into the very long finish."

Mike Bennie "A super Chardonnay at the Apex of Australia's growing list of high quality proponents, this is a tour de force of precise fruit character, savoury detail, minerally charm and general interest as an expression of Chardonnay. Succulent, exceptionally long, nutty notes in just-ripe nectarine with chalk-talc and saline character notes through. Outstanding." (2017 vintage)

Steven Creber "Dry-grown on riverine black basalt soil with a maritime influence. Wild ferment in barriques, approx. 25% new. Ripe and peachy on the bouquet with some nutty oak characters and lees-derived creaminess. Generous flavours and full in texture, harnessed by the acidity that runs full length on the palate and lingers in the aftertaste." (2017 vintage)

Nick Stock/James Suckling Margaret River Review 2020 "Attractive lemon and gunflint aromas with some restrained creaminess in the background. The palate has a beautifully smooth-honed feel with supple, citrusy fruit fitting in neatly. The acidity is a highlight, pitched just right. Drink now." (2017 vintage)

Ray Jordan, The West Australian Wine Guide 2020 "This is a beautifully textured and opulent chardonnay. Such deep stone fruit and creaminess with a slight edge of acid and oak. But it is so well integrated. This has a flinty edge to it with a very long and focused finish. There is some phenolics that seems to come from the full solids impact. And there is a slight flint and match stick character. Cellar 12 years" (2017 vintage)

Ray Jordan "Another cracking good chardonnay from this marvelous vineyard. It's once again my pick of the McHenry Hohnen chardonnays after a year off last year. Has that deeper textured palate character that I love, but still with a controlled linear feel in the mouth that gives it length and substained power. Slightly flinty with a nectarine/white peach character." (2016 vintage)

Mike Bennie "A supremely elegant Chardonnay of exceptional length, grace and finesse." (2016 vintage)

Gary Walsh "Burnside is one of the original Chardonnay plantings (1972) in Margaret River, and the only vineyard that’s sited on the river itself. Peach and lime, almond biscotti, a whisper of smoke and spice. Powerful but refined, with the crunch of mouth-watering stony acidity, and a strong current of white fruits rolling over it. There’s oatmeal and almond softness, but that crystalline acidity pushes it long and fresh on the finish. It’s a beautiful thing." (2016 vintage)

Huon Hooke "...the palate is lively with refreshing acidity and dominant lemon flavours. Good focus, intensity and palate length..." (2016 vintage)

Tasting Notes "Grapefruit, peach, roasted nuts and smoke give way to barrel ferment and matchstick complexities. Wild ferment and extended time on lees contribute to a delicious savoury character to the palate which is both powerful and defined by a core of natural acidity. From a heritage Margaret River vineyard on the river bank, this Chardonnay captures the unique character of this site."

Winemaker Notes "Hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, full solids and wild fermentation in barrique (approx. 25% new). Post ferment, barrels are left cool but unsulphured for 4 months to encourage autolytic activity. Batonnage every two weeks based on flavour and partial MLF. Wine was racked with full lees to tank in December and spent two months on lees in tank before bottling unfiltered."

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.