2022 Murdoch Hill Artisan Tilbury Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

This is exceptional chardonnay, baring a gloss of quince, white peach and nougat amidst the citric, chalky freshness, verbena lift and pungency that marks the long, detailed finish. There is a severity to this, as with many wines at this stable. It simply needs the toning hand of time. That will happen with patience. Best after 2025." 

95 points Nick Stock jamessuckling.com

Supple, flowing and gentle expression here. Woody spices, cinnamon over lime and ripe apple, some green melon, lime. Quite a bit of flint and warm slate minerality in the wine. Concentrated, but also finishes mighty fresh and tense, with a trickle of briny minerality. Quite a bit of seasoning here, and needs some time to settle in, but you can see the DNA of a fine wine to emerge.

93+ points Mike Bennie winefront.com.au

Fruit for the 2022 Tilbury was sourced from the Lenswood Vineyard (80%), with the balance from the usual Piccadilly and Lobethal growers that have previously contributed to this wine. The style of the fruit from Lenswood is more open and generous, providing a beautiful contrast to the tight, linear nature of Piccadilly and Lobethal. Its fruit is from own-rooted I10v1 clone vines planted in 1989 and Bernard 76 and 95 clones planted in the early 2000s. The Lobethal site is close to 500 metres high and has soils loaded with ironstone, contributing fruit with a classic flinty expression and powerful drive. The Piccadilly soils are varied, with sandstone, sandy loam and ironstone.

The fruit was whole bunch-pressed into French puncheons, barriques and some Stockinger vessels for fermentation (about 40% new wood this year). The wine underwent full malolactic conversion and had some light lees stirring over eight months’ maturation. The result is a bolt of energy with just the right amount of reduction, complexity and plenty of generosity to keep you tethered to the glass.