2023 Montalto Single Vineyard Tuerong Block Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula

I can’t recall a better chardonnay off this site (’23 is a very good white year). It’s beautifully modulated – full of citrus and white stone fruit, a light dusting of ginger powder with coriander. Moreish and savoury with dabs of clotted cream and judicious oak seamlessly integrated. It’s also super flinty and fine, with chalk-like acidity ensuring the finish is both mouth-watering and long.

96 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Montalto Single Vineyard Tuerong Chardonnay is a striking and site-specific white wine from the northernmost vineyard in the Montalto portfolio — and it’s got a personality all of its own. Where Red Hill and Main Ridge tend to give Chardonnay tension and citrus zip, Tuerong, with its slightly warmer microclimate and heavier clay-based soils, delivers a deeper, more opulent style while still carrying that essential Mornington precision. It’s Chardonnay with curves — generous, layered, and seriously stylish.

Winemaker Simon Black treats this fruit with gentle hands and a winemaker’s eye for balance. The wine is wild-fermented in French oak (around 30% new), then matured on lees with some stirring to build texture. The result is a wine that doesn’t just sit in the glass — it stretches out and makes itself known.

On the nose, expect ripe white peach, yellow nectarine, lemon curd and grilled hazelnuts, with a subtle smoky flint edge and some baking spice from the oak. The palate is rich and rounded, but with enough acid and mineral grip to pull it all into line. There’s a creamy mouthfeel that’s cut through by citrus zest and oyster shell salinity, making each sip feel polished and energetic despite the wine’s generosity.

This is Chardonnay that beautifully illustrates the diversity within the Mornington Peninsula — same grape, same winemaker, completely different expression thanks to terroir. Tuerong is all about breadth and generosity with a savoury, flinty backbone that keeps you coming back for more.

Food pairing: Roast chicken with truffle and mushroom stuffing, spanner crab linguine with lemon and herbs, or butternut squash risotto with sage and parmesan. For cheese, an aged Gruyère or rich triple cream Brie.

Cellar potential: Delicious now, especially with a short decant, but will evolve gracefully over 6–10 years as the fruit mellows and the savoury elements deepen.