Oxford Landing have launched this range, which they claim is *40% lighter in alcohol and calories than the standard Oxford Landing Chardonnay. To achieve the reduced alcohol, the finished wine is put through a filtering process that is able to separate the alcohol molecules, rather than stopping fermentation early before the yeasts have consumed all the sugars and turned them to alcohol. Winemaker is Andy La Nauze.

SUNLIGHT* by Oxford Landing, Chardonnay, Riverland, 2021

Pale yellow straw colour. Chardonnay by the numbers nose: grapefruit, lemon pith, white stone fruit, chamomile, soft mealy biscuit and a touch of nougat. Palate shows more of the same tones with a distinct honeyed finish. While there’s some flesh and structure missing due to the alcohol removal, it still is recognisable as Chardonnay (albeit not a very complex one).

RRP: $15
Alc: 7%
Rating:  16.75/20 (87/100)

Wine samples courtesy of Oxford Landing Estates