2023 Apricus Hill Chardonnay, Denmark

Top-shelf chardonnay from the West. Maybe it’s the vintage or the winemaking, but the ’23 offers a finer specimen of a Chardonnay than the previous release I tasted. Note to winemaker: keep it going! There’s a lemon theme happening here from the lemon bright hues through to the summery scents of lemon, grapefruit zest, white peach and nectarine. A seamless entry of fruit on the palate, full of character with a distinctive thread of nougat and almond and grilled nuts. Crisp, assertive, and featuring an undercurrent of light texture, it finishes with good length and balance. Can take some further time in bottle, too.

94 points Jeni Prt winepilot.com

Apricus Hill, established in 1995, is the highest vineyard in Denmark, on Western Australia's south coast.  At 750 feet above sea level and with panoramic views of the southern ocean the vineyard experiences a true maritime effect with cooling ocean breezes make it a true "cool climate" vineyard.

This Chardonnay has been made with only the “free run” juice – the first run, finest quality juice without the bitterness and phenolics associated with the grape skin.The juice was fermented in new and second use French oak 500 litre puncheons with some grape solids giving the wine a complex savoury note. It matured in oak for 9 months.