100% wild ferment.  Approximately 50% of the blend fermented and matured in new French oak (around 15% of the final blend) and the rest 1 to 3 year old barriques, the remainder in stainless steel. Winemaker is Alexey Alon Dumbuay.

Hill-Smith Estate, Chardonnay, Eden Valley, 2022

Pale lemon to straw hue. A little flinty struck match over lemon juice, fig, toasted almonds, warming butter, white stone fruit and nuance of white stones. Neatly worked formulae for modern interpretation of Australian Chardonnay. Toasty oak framework giving a vanilla kiss and supporting fleshy stone fruit with a bittersweet kick. The finish is dry, with just the right amount of acidity to sharpen the tail. Ticks the boxes without breaking the budget.

RRP: $25
Alc: 13%
Rating: 90/100

Wine sample courtesy of Hill-Smith Estate