2022 Shadowfax Midhill Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges

While tasting this, I kept singing part of Offspring’s Pretty Fly (For A White Guy), the bit that goes, ‘give it to me baby, uh huh, uh huh’. This ‘give it to me baby’ chardy is all about funky, flinty sulphides teasing the stone fruit and grapefruit within. Nougat with curd-like/grilled nutty lees flavour also accentuating the palate with oak in the background adding support. It lingers long thanks to the acidity and all up, this is a perfect amalgam of chardonnay flavours. Drink 2024-2032.

95 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au August 2024

Light straw-yellow colour. White peach, roasting hazelnut and bacon fat aromatics. Full and intense on entry, white stone fruits and apple are bound with saline acidity and multiple layers of nutty and flinty complexity. Great length, driving with precision and power right to the fine end. Drink 2025-2035.

94 points Stuart Knox therealreview.com January 2025

The Midhill vineyard (est. 1993) is near Romsey is located at an altitude of 540m, and has deep red alluvial soils.

Cool summer temperatures, followed by a mild autumn led to a very long growing season in 2022. Grapes ripened to full flavour and phenolic ripeness, and were hand picked in pristine condition. Fruit was whole bunch pressed to impart some skin contact to release the full flavour profile as well as impart some phenolic texture. Natural ferment occurred in new (30%) and older French hogshead and puncheon barrels. The wine was left to settle on its lees for added generosity. Every barrel was treated as is own entity, with some allowed to go through natural malolactic fermentation. After 11 months the wine was racked and filtered prior to bottling in February 2025.