2023 Longview Macclesfield Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

Around 30% of the French oak barrels used for seasoning the wine are new. Some of the juice goes through mlf. Attractive scents of nectarine, green mango, lime and ginger, with whiffs of sugared almond in there too. The palate slips along with ease, satiny texture, good concentration, more stone fruit and lime fruit to taste but with more pronounced ginger and a vein of briny minerality at its core. The finish is saline and pleasing, long and slightly puckering. This has some class to it. It feels cool and refreshing overall.

92 points Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Longview Macclesfield Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills is a striking cool-climate white that balances precision with richness, elegance with energy. Sourced from high-elevation vineyards in Macclesfield, one of the Hills’ coolest subregions, this Chardonnay captures the tension and clarity that define top-tier Adelaide Hills wines.

The fruit is handpicked early in the morning to retain freshness, then whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. Lees stirring and extended maturation build texture and complexity, while the natural acidity keeps everything focused and bright.

Aromatically, it’s layered with white nectarine, Meyer lemon, green apple and cashew, underpinned by flint and subtle struck match. On the palate, it’s taut yet generous, showing citrus, stone fruit and almond meal with a clean, mineral-laced finish.

This Chardonnay is ideal alongside grilled spatchcock, crab linguine with lemon butter, or roast cauliflower with miso and tahini. It’s drinking beautifully now but has the structure and acidity to evolve over 5 to 7 years.