2023 Kooyong Faultline Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula

Faultline has morphed into an impeccable single-block wine of pedigree, detail and finesse. It has the edge over its sibling Farrago this vintage. Layers of flavour, yet restrained, nothing over the top here with grapefruit and lemon, struck-match flint, mint and feathery light cream-curd-like lees. Moreish and savoury with mouth-watering acidity and a succulence throughout; really, this is just so damn good. Drink it. I did. Drink 2025 to 2035.

97 points Special Value Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2025

Light, bright yellow hue; fresh and bright aromas of lemon, almond, meringue and crunchy pear. The wine is concentrated, fruit driven and full of energy, the palate flavour intense and beautifully rounded, with seamless harmony and terrific persistence. A sensational chardonnay which promises a big future. Drink 2025 to2038.

97 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, July 2025

Aromas of minerals, nectarines, preserved lemons, phosphorus, lime curd and grapefruit rind. The palate is medium-bodied with pure acidity and a textural mouthfeel that is quite generous and rounded, giving flavors of salted nuts, pastry and green apple skin. A salty, mouthwatering finish. Drink or hold.

95 points James Suckling, March 2025

The 2023 Chardonnay Faultline is stylish, offering a compact core of melon, granitic and chalk dust aromas lifted by fine oak and gunflint. Acidity is masterfully managed and well integrated with vibrant citrus flavors, delivering a finely tuned finish with decent length.

93 points Angus Hughson for Wine Pilot, June 2025

Kooyong is a specialist Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producer based at Tuerong on the Mornington Peninsula, where the Gjergja family has farmed 40 hectares of estate vines since 1996. The Faultline is one of five distinct single blocks vinified separately. This block covers just half a hectare of 27-year-old Chardonnay vines on sedimentary soils with less ironstone and more deep clay than the neighbouring blocks — a profile that delivers an earthy depth and fuller palate character than others in the range.

The 2023 spring was the wettest in 25 years on the Mornington Peninsula, with waterlogged soils extending the flowering period. Conditions recovered through January and February, and the mild, steady finish to the season allowed for slow and even ripening. The fruit quality was exceptional.

Whole bunch pressed directly to predominantly seasoned French oak barrels and fermented spontaneously with ambient yeasts. The wine was aged on lees for 11 months without stirring and racked once before bottling, with no fining and minimal filtration.

Grapefruit, lime blossom and white stone fruit on the nose, with flinty reduction, toasted dough and a creamy yogurt hint adding depth and intrigue. The palate is vibrant and finely poised, citrus gliding along a crisp, linear acid line, with lees-derived texture and a delicate phenolic grip carrying through to a finish of remarkable length and clarity.

Open well ahead of serving and enjoy alongside freshwater crayfish, pan-roasted fish or a well-made chicken dish with cream and herbs. Drink now through 2035.