2024 Savaterre Chardonnay, Beechworth

Here is the art of winemaker laid bare, in all of its beauty as well as mystery. It's a slow reveal, all the better to take in a wine both plush in fruit and fine in structure, citrusy fresh and oak defined, savoury influenced and varietally pure. Complex, tangy fresh aromas arrive Beechworth-bright before leading into a tightly packed, concentrated palate of lemon citrus, grapefruit, stone fruits and toasted almonds creamily textured with honeysuckle aromatics. A suitable ending with saline cut and grip on the long finish. 13.5%

97 points Jeni Port for Halliday Wine Companion May 2026

Keppell Smith established Savaterre in 1996 after a deliberate search through Australia's premium wine regions for the right site. He found it just outside the historic town of Beechworth, on an elevated slope at 440 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Victorian Alps. Beechworth is among Australia's most respected cool-climate regions, and is home to a concentration of small, uncompromising producers, with Savaterre considered one of the very best.

Nutrient-poor well-draining granite buckshot topsoils, high density planting and moderate temperatures all contribute to naturally low yields and intensive fruit flavours. The 2024 growing season was considered exceptional — long, warm days and cool nights allowed for gradual, even ripening and the development of the complex flavour profile that defines this wine at its best.

The high quality already achieved in the vineyard allows for hands off winemaking: ambient fermentation, basket pressing, long lees ageing and up to 18 months in fine French oak, followed by six months of bottle rest before release.

The 2024 is tightly coiled and focused on release and will benefit from further time in the bottle. White peach, nectarine and citrus pith on the nose, with the reductive, flinty complexity that is Savaterre's signature threading through. The palate is precise and concentrated, with bright acid and a finish of impressive length and persistence.

A wine that will pair with equally intense and refined flavours on the plate. Fine crayfish in a rich sauce or roasted game birds would be worthy matches, particularly with a few more years of bottle age.

Those who know this wine will cellar it without hesitation.