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.

$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

The best Chardonnay always exhibit conspicuous balance. Those fortunate enough to have countenanced the wines of Tallarook will understand why Terra Felix are so well received. The objective is to create a robust style of Chardonnay which can be enjoyed in its youth, without evolving too rapidly while in bottle. A measure of oak is perceptible yet inseparable from the fruit, characters derived from vinification contribute complexity without dominating.

$1899each $227DOZEN EACH DOZEN Grapes are picked at the beginning of the tropical phase of ripening, as they pass through the citrus stage to develop peachy/ melon characters. Once crushed, the must is not given any skin contact, to avoid any broader flavours. Only the clean juices, free of solids are vinified, to achieve maximum freshness on the initial palate. A cold slow fermentation is inoculated, French barrels at a medium toast level are selected to avoid the vanillin of American oak. French oak is subtle as it infuses the wine with nutty, cashew flavours. A careful handling and selection of fruit, a long and cool temperature controlled vinification and early bottling capture all the expressions of vital Goulburn Valley Chardonnay.

Pale straw, green hues. Lifted lime and citrus with straw notes. Medium bodied, offering fresh flavours of gooseberries, showing plenty of melon, stoned fruit and lemon characters, well balanced with a long, crisp finish. Nutty French oak in the background adds interest and gently enriches the texture while soft acid fills out the picture.

$8999each $1079DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Vinified from top quality fruit grown to superb vineyards at Dixon's Creek and Yarra Glen, crafted by the winemaking teams of Shadowfax and Yering Station. Toolangi are highly regarded by industry peers, their Chardonnay is a tribute to a great vineyard, pruned and thinned to yield minimal harvests of the finest fruit. An intense, savoury meal and mineral nose precedes a solid palate of penetrating fruit character and exquisite charm. Well structured, forward drinking and full of flavour, Toolangi are at the cutting edge of Yarra Valley Chardonnay.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN Toolangi is a former cattle grazing property, re established to vines in 1995. Further plantings have been progressively added and there are now some thirteen hectares under vine. A well drained location with gentle slopes, all exhibiting a highly desirable northeasterly orientation, the site is ideally suited to the cultivation of high quality fruit. Soils are predominantly clay, covered by a thin layer of shale and stone topsoils. Chardonnay grapes are selectively hand picked off low cropped vines yielding 2½ tonnes per acre. Following a wild, indigenous yeast vinification at the Yering Station and Oakridge wineworks, Toolangi is matured for up to a year in a selection of seasoned and new French oak puncheons.

Light in colour. Lemony edges with a nose of slate and wet stones, clotted cream, peach and lemon citrus. A reduction in the oak regime allows the fruit to shine and the subtle talc texture and baking spices to evolve on the finish. Beautiful lightness, and pleasing texture, it is fresh, precise and lively and a terrific addition to any menu. Match it with WA scampi, chicken caesar or whiting caprice.

$3899each $467DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2899each $347DOZEN EACH DOZEN

A collation of Chardonnay parcels harvested off choice Yarra Valley sites, including the auspicious estate properties at Tarrawarra and Dixons Creek. De Bortoli operate the most well established Chardonnay vineyards in the region, her viticultural team have had decades of practice at training their vines to yield the finest harvests. Long on the palate with all the vital Yarra Valley stonefruit flavours, Vinoque is enhanced by old world vinification techniques to become nutty and complex, immensely satisfying and long on the palate.

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN The Vinoque range makes use of single vineyard fruit and classic regional styles, it affords the dedicated De Bortoli winemaking team a chance to experiment with artisanal vinification techniques and to employ a selection of varietal clones, mainly in development stage. Chardonnay can be a style of myriad interpretations, the Yarra Valley grows its own unique quality of fruit and Chardonnay is well suited to the region's cooler clime, undulating vineyards. State of the art viticulture and good old fashioned hand picking is followed by a course of whole bunch pressing and fermentations in seasoned French oak, to achieve a generously proportioned wine that's beautifully balanced and quite fine in structure.

Light straw hue. Stonefruits and mealy nose, apple fruit characters, notes of savoury, kernel and meal. Dry on the palate, minerally and edgy, crisp fruit flavours supported by savoury acidity and a measure of finesse. There aren't many better matches in the world of gastronomy than Vinoque and pan fried Dory fillets.