2023 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay, Margaret River

This is outrageously good. It’s stately, a powerhouse of a wine, yet is perfectly poised and stylish. A good site and clever winemaking (Gingin clone) allow chardonnay’s inherent strengths to shine. That would be the citrus-accented fruit, the struck match flintiness, spice and mouth-watering acidity. The palate builds and while there’s depth and volume, this is well contained with judicious oak and feathery light lees flavour. And yet, given all that, there’s a fineness as the finish heads off to the horizon. What a wine.

97 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay from Margaret River is a flagship white wine that captures the power, precision, and elegance that define this world-class region. Crafted from the finest parcels of fruit grown in Stella Bella’s southern Margaret River vineyards, Luminosa is a serious, cellar-worthy Chardonnay that speaks of place, vintage, and refined winemaking.

The vineyards lie in the cooler Karridale subregion, where gravelly loam soils and strong maritime influence deliver exceptional fruit purity, natural acidity, and layered complexity. These conditions are ideal for Chardonnay, particularly when aiming for balance between richness and tension.

Winemaking is led by Luke Joliffe, who brings a measured, textural approach to the Luminosa label. The fruit is handpicked and whole bunch pressed before undergoing wild fermentation in French oak barriques, around 30 percent of which are new. The wine remains on lees for 10 to 12 months with regular bâtonnage, building creamy texture while preserving vibrancy. Partial malolactic fermentation is used to enhance mouthfeel without compromising the wine’s drive.

In the glass, Luminosa Chardonnay reveals aromas of white peach, nectarine, lemon curd, roasted hazelnut, and struck match. The palate is powerful and poised with stone fruit, citrus, nougat and a fine acid line that carries through to a long, savoury, flinty finish. There’s great depth, but also restraint, making it a brilliant candidate for ageing.

Perfect with roasted chicken, lobster with brown butter, or miso-glazed vegetables, this is Margaret River Chardonnay at its most focused and expressive.