Swings & Roundabouts retain access to some of Western Australia's best vineyards. Their rounder and more deliberate style of Chardonnay targets fresh drinking rather than oak overkill. The pick of Margaret River's fruit is vinified into a finely honed Chardonnay wine with effusive stonefruit/ apple characters and brisk vegetative acidity, made even more attractive by a course of luxurious barrel ferments, adding texture and infusing the wine with warming vanilla spice. A treat alongside prawns or chicken caesar, Swings & Roundabouts is an easy to appreciate aperitif style.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN A collation of fruit from the estate's Swings vineyard alongside parcels from some of the most ardent growers, vinified and augmented by ageing in a third of French oak to complement it's creamy palate, loads of fresh fruit fragrance and regional Chardonnay characters. Having earned a reputation as one of West Australia's leading winemakers, based around a young and enthusiastic team, Swings & Roundabouts are accomplished at crafting the vigorous Margaret River styles. Picked throughout the cool of night, grapes are cold pressed and clear juice fermented to natural yeasts. Half of the wine is treated to oak barrel and matured several months under the estate cellars. Alcohol 13.0%

Pale green to light luminous straw hues. Lifted attractive melon fruits on the bouquet with hints of lifted nectarine, subtle vanillin oak in the background adds complexity and depth to the overall impression. Fruit filled, dry and medium bodied to taste, freshly cut orchard fruit and melon flavours lead to a generous and creamy middle palate, textured, structured and fine, resolving on a persistent, clean and lingering finish.

Victorian Chardonnay is known for its affable nature and easy to appreciate apple fruit characters. Tahbilk have been one of the nation's most successful purveyors of Australian white wine since well before Federation. The fruit of their distinguished old vineyards was at the very fore of the resurgence of interest in Victorian table wines during the 1970s. A crystalline textured, beautifully rounded Chardonnay with an elegance of fine oak, seamlessly in support of its crisp, Goulburn Valley fruit palate.

$1849each $221DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Mid straw yellow hues. Creamy nectarine nose, melons and cut apple, light vanilla spice. A lovely, well balanced palate of peach and honeydew melon flavours, pineapple and tropical fruit notes, supported by controlled French American oak; toastyness and spice, elegant, well integrated and very stylish. The Chardonnay of choice for marinated chicken grills or gourmandize white meat snags.

$115699each $13883DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Created to commemorate Thibaud IV Comte de Champagne, the aristocrat who planted the original Chardonnay vines in France circa 13th Century. First vintaged in 1952, it is produced exclusively from the delicate first pressing of the most extravagantly valued Chardonnay grapes, grown to perfection within the ancient communes of the elite Cote des Blancs. Taittinger is still crafted under the historic cellars of the 13th Century Abbey Saint-Nicaise, in the heart of Champagne in Reims.

$49599each $5951DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Pale straw colour, a fine, elegant bead. The nose presents fine aromas of toast and oak echoed by delicate notes of vanilla and brioche. A fresh and smooth palate of pink grapefruit and white peach follows with a long and refined, rich, toasty finish, lasting and complex. It's delicacy and generous fruitiness is matched by supreme ageing potential. This celebratory and ceremonial wine is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and shellfish.

Tapanappa are a joint venture of elite peerage, a vinous concord between Petaluma's Brian Croser, Champagne Bollinger and Chateau Lynch Bages. Brian Croser selected the Piccadilly Valley at the centre of the Adelaide Hills in 1978 because it provided the best terroirs in which to grow Chardonnay for Petaluma and for Croser sparkling. Grapes are all hand picked and destemmed into a high proportion of new French Vosges oak barriques for ferment through the action of home yeasts over the course of a cool Piccadilly Valley autumn. Ripe peaches, quince and fig, marzipan and vanilla oak complement the fresh fruit.

$5899each $707DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$8499each $1019DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Tiers is a mere three hectares of intensively managed, closely planted, historically significant Chardonnay vines. The growing seasons at Piccadilly are uncannily similar to the microclimes of Burgundy and Dijon. Tiers Vineyard was the first site planted in the region since the nineteenth century and is at the centre of the Piccadilly Valley, at 450 metres, near the Petaluma wineworks and Brian Croser's home. The Chardonnay vines on Tiers Vineyard were derived from an old Davis California clone, originally imported from Mersault during the 1880s. A mere 300 dozen are produced.

$10599each $1271DOZEN EACH DOZEN Hand picked grapes are de-stemmed, crushed and chilled to 2C on the way to an air bag press. Cold juices are gravitated away and only light pressings are added back. After two days of cold settling, the clear juices are racked to a high proportion of new French Vosges oak barriques for a long cool vinification under the estate cellars. Upon completion of ferments, the barriques are topped up, treated to partial malolactic and matured ten months on gross lees. In the spring, barrels are slightly sulphured, followed by rack and return for clarification and bottling.

Rich straw hues. Varietal bouquet of ripe peach and melon, subtle marzipan and brioche characters are derived from the malolactic, yeast lees contact and refined French oak. A consistent terroir feature of Tiers Chardonnay are its substantial textures, effusive palate, undulating flavours and mouth filling savoury finish. Tiers unravels a cornucopia of spiced honey and toasted brulee characters as it evolves in the glass.

$3599each $431DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Out front of the TarraWarra property sits a quirky herd of metal sculptures by artist Jeff Thompson, permanently grazing under a stand of trees. From fruit grown to mature Yarra Valley vines, TarraWarra's estate Chardonnay is crafted in much the same way as their flagship Reserve, the addition of a tank fermented component contributes freshness. A beautifully made, golden Chardonnay wine which over delivers, with its clean precise palate, luxuriously leesy barrel ferment characters, textural creaminess and superior length.

$2499each $299DOZEN EACH DOZEN Chardonnay clones P58 and Mendoza, I10V1 and I10V3, 76 and 78, are hand picked off vines up to thirty years of age. Parcels, many in the form of whole bunches, are crushed and pressed, with a view to building complexity within the finished wine. Half the juices are run straight to barrel for inoculation by yeast CY3079 in a combination of new and prior use French oaks, the balance is vinified in fermenters, aimed at retaining freshness and vitality to match the length and textural richness of barrel treatments. After a fortnight, batches are filled to a selection of Francois Freres, Mercurey, Sirugue and Seguin Moreau seasoned and new oak barriques and puncheons for ten months lees maturation.

Ripe pale yellow hue. Grapefruit and lemon zest aromas before underlying notes of cashew. The palate shows a creamy yet fine texture derived from time on lees. A lovely drive with persistence of flavour, elegant complexity and appealing freshness. A wholly integrated palate of ripe fruit restrained by the fine structure, French oak contributes an added dimension, delicately on the finish.

$9499each $1139DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$5299each $635DOZEN EACH DOZEN

There's a very special southerly facing block at TarraWarra, which was planted to the auspicious Mendoza clone from cuttings off the illustrious Leeuwin Estate vineyards in Margaret River. There are few harvests like it in Yarra Valley, treated to a gentle whole bunch press into French oak barrels for a wild yeast ferment and ten months of age. Defined by its creamy grapefruit curd richness, intensity of flavour and magnificent length, Yarra Valley Chardonnay which bridges the gap between well fleshed fruit and crisp savouryness, moreish at the finish on a lingering note of frangipane and spice.

$3699each $443DOZEN EACH DOZEN