2019 Kooyong Estate Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula

It's easy to sit back and chill out with this in hand. It's layered with white stone fruit, grapefruit and a sprinkling of cinnamon and ginger. Good energy to the palate, tangy acidity and integrated oak adding some depth and flavour.

93 points James Halliday winecompanion.com.au

Kooyong Estate Chardonnay comprises fruit from the Faultline and Farrago blocks. It offers an overall expression of the Kooyong vineyard, with parcels of fruit from various soils and mesoclimates blended together to create the Estate label.

Year after year the same parcels are consistently chosen, giving this wine an underlying likeness across vintages. The grapes were gently whole-bunch pressed directly into French oak barriques (15% of which were new) where fermentation occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts.

The bouquet opens with complex notes of lemon curd, white florals, mandarin and cashew. Beguiling hints of wet stone and flint are also present. The palate is deftly weighted, with great length and power that combines bright citrus acidity with persistent stone fruit flavours. The finish is laden with tension and energy. Tightly wound at the moment, this wine will greatly reward time in the cellar.