2023 Wirra Wirra Yandra Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

Sophisticated and inviting aromas of lemon confit, toasted hazelnuts, lime curd and phosphorous. The palate is medium-bodied with energetic acidity, a generous texture and notes of ruby grapefruit, mandarin zest, wet stones and shortbread. Wonderful tension from a cool vintage, with underlying power. Excellent. Drink or hold.

94 points jamessuckling.com Nov 2024

Very light colour and a restrained, reserved nose of creamy yeast lees and beeswax/ candle-wax aromas, lemon/citrus at the core. It’s a very tensioned, delicate, modern stye of cool-climate chardonnay. Frisky palate with crisp acidity and a very dry finish. This would really benefit from time in the bottle.

93 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com Jul 2024

Wirra Wirra Yandra Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills is a refined, cool-climate white that brings together purity, texture, and a quietly powerful structure. Sourced from a single vineyard in the higher-elevation Yandra subregion, this wine represents a modern expression of Australian Chardonnay: restrained, elegant, and guided more by site and finesse than by oak or ripeness.

Grapes are hand picked and whole bunch pressed, with fermentation taking place in French oak barriques, a portion of which are new. Wild yeast fermentation and partial malolactic conversion build depth and complexity, while extended lees contact adds weight and a creamy texture without overshadowing the wine’s fine acidity and mineral backbone.

The nose is beautifully lifted with aromas of white peach, lemon curd, struck flint, almond meal and subtle oak spice. On the palate, it is medium bodied and tightly coiled, showing citrus and stone fruit, cashew, crushed quartz and a gently saline finish. There’s tension and energy here, suggesting both immediate appeal and potential for evolution.

Food pairing: pairs well with roast chicken and tarragon, grilled lobster, miso-glazed eggplant, or soft cheeses like brie and triple cream. Also excellent with creamy seafood pasta or chargrilled vegetables.

Cellar potential: drinking well now with a short decant, but will evolve beautifully over 6 to 10 years, gaining savoury and nutty complexity while retaining freshness.