2024 Heggies Chardonnay, Eden Valley

Light straw with cream-flecked white peach, nectarine and citrus fruits undercut with hints of white flowers, nougat and crème fraîche. A distant suggestion of struck flint, vanillin oak, almond paste, oatmeal and soft spice. Lightly textural on the palate with a touch of sour cream richness, a fine, lacy minerality and some really lovely focus as the wine trails off. Drink by 2032.

94 points Dave Brookes  wine companion.com.au

Heggies Chardonnay from Eden Valley is a refined and beautifully balanced wine that highlights the elegance and cool-climate character of this high-altitude vineyard. The Heggies site sits over 500 metres above sea level on rocky quartz and schist soils, producing Chardonnay with intensity, freshness, and remarkable natural acidity.

The fruit is hand picked in the cool of the morning and whole-bunch pressed, with fermentation taking place in French oak barriques using a mix of wild and cultured yeasts. A portion undergoes malolactic fermentation, and the wine spends several months on lees with gentle stirring to build texture and complexity while retaining brightness and precision.

It shows pale gold with green highlights. The aroma is refined and layered, offering white peach, grapefruit, and nectarine with notes of nougat, cashew, and flint. The palate is elegant and textural, with ripe stone fruit, citrus, and gentle oak spice balanced by crisp acidity and a long, mineral finish. It’s both rich and restrained — a true reflection of Eden Valley’s cool climate and elevation.

It pairs beautifully with roast chicken, creamy seafood dishes, or pasta with truffle or mushrooms. While delicious now for its freshness and finesse, it will cellar gracefully for eight to ten years, developing nutty and honeyed complexity.