2023 d'Arenberg The Lucky Lizard Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

This was picked early, with the wine raised in a mixture of French oak, from new to neutral. It’s understandably racy and tight, nervy, a little angular, but there’s chardonnay flavour aplenty, too. Nutty oak, citrus, tart nectarine, green apple. It’s edgy and will no doubt flex in time, but the acidity is in control at present. Drink to 2028.

89 points Marcus Ellis for Halliday Wine Companion, April 2025

The Lucky Lizard pays homage to the Bearded Dragons that are abundant in the local vineyards.

From the cool 2023 season, the Adelaide Hills fruit for this wine was crushed and the juice extracted with stainless steel basket presses. Fermentation took place in mostly seasoned French oak barriques with roughly 40% allowed to start with indigenous yeasts and the balance inoculated with cultivated strains. The fermented wine was aged on lees with no racking and none of the barrels went through malolactic conversion, with the final blend assembled after a total of six months in oak.

The 2023 has for Chardonnay notably low 11.5% alc./vol.

About this producer

The 1912 established d'Arenberg remains a family business, with fourth-generation Chester Osborn crafting bold, characterful wine with winemaker Jack Walton that continuing the family legacy of pushing the boundaries of the region.

The estate vineyards are substantial, with the family owning or leasing roughly 200 hectares in McLaren Vale, in addition to sourcing grapes from contract growers in the Adelaide Hils and the Fleurieu. Their own vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic, making family one of the largest biodynamic farmers in Australia.

The range of wines on offer is notable, with the winery vinifying nearly forty varieties in most seasons. The work at the winery remains highly traditional and labour-intensive despite their large scale, with all white and red wines pressed with gentle basket presses, and the red ferments foot-trodden by cellar hands in the original open concrete fermenters. The red wines are bottled without fining or filtration.