2023 McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Vineyard Chardonnay, Margaret River

Traditionally the more delicate of the three top-tier chardonnays. This is a wonderful example of the vineyard and style. Fragrant and intense on the nose with floral grapefruit, cashew and light lemon curd influences. There’s a little of that limestone character as well adding to its crystalline feel. The palate is tightly wound and deeply powerful with a tight inner core. Finishes with a little savouriness that balances it perfectly.

97 points rayjaordanwine.com.au

As the single-vineyard chardonnays are made identically, it’s all about site influencing the outcome. This is a stunner. Superfine and long, with light flavours of grapefruit, lemon with creamy/nutty lees and some flinty/smoky notes. Savoury, moreish, although this is defined by its distinct mouth-watering acidity, which drives the long finish.

96 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Light lemon to straw yellow in the glass. Ripe yellow nectarine, sweet pastry and caramelised hazelnut aromatics. A powerful palate, serious fruit intensity at the core and that offers a great base for multiple layers of complexing nut, flint and bacon fat character to be layered upon. With all that power, equal amounts of structural framework have been engaged. Acidity drives and controls it very well, ensuring great length and a crispness into the finish 08 Feb 2025 Drink. now–2037

94 points Stuart Knox therealreview.com

McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Vineyard Chardonnay from Margaret River is a beautifully expressive single-vineyard Chardonnay that captures the essence of coastal purity and precision. Planted just three kilometres from the Indian Ocean, Calgardup Vineyard benefits from cooling maritime breezes and ancient limestone soils, giving this wine its signature line of bright acidity, minerality, and understated power.

The vineyard is farmed using organic and biodynamic practices, in line with McHenry Hohnen’s philosophy of nurturing vine health and soil vitality to produce wines of energy and site transparency. The Calgardup site, with its free-draining sandy loam over limestone, naturally yields Chardonnay with saline tension, fine citrus detail, and beautiful phenolic structure.

Winemaking is deliberately hands-off. Grapes are hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed directly to French oak barrels (around 20% new). Fermentation is wild, with no fining or filtration, and the wine spends time on lees with occasional stirring to build texture and complexity. There’s also a gentle touch of malolactic fermentation, adding balance and depth without sacrificing freshness.

In the glass, Calgardup Vineyard Chardonnay offers lifted aromas of grapefruit, white nectarine, wet stone, and subtle struck match. The palate is tight and focused, yet layered—citrus and green melon meet cashew and oyster shell, all tied together by a chalky texture and racy acidity. The finish is long, mouthwatering, and saline—a nod to its oceanic proximity.

This is a Chardonnay for lovers of finesse, precision, and place. Calgardup delivers purity over power, making it a standout among Margaret River’s finest new-wave whites.