2025 Bellvale Chardonnay, Gippsland

We have a winner here. This is crisp and elegant and textural and long, and throughout it just simply tastes good. It’s as good or better than any Bellvale Chardonnay I’ve had previous. It tastes of pears, nectarines, oyster shells and grapefruit, with hay, cedar and toast notes layered over the top – the latter in the most subtle way possible. If this is a sign of things to come from the Bellvale vineyard, under new ownership, then we have a lot to look forward to. Drink 2026-2031+

94 points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

The 2025 acquisition of Bellvale by the owners of Port Phillip Estate/Kooyong, further highlights the huge potential of quality, cool climate South Gippsland wine, in particular Chardonnay. This complex youngster with its combination of tantalising acidity and structure should age well – a good sign – but in the meantime, it’s all about the bright mix of ripe fruit and some mighty smart oak. The bouquet highlights struck match, biscuit, stone fruits and citrus with an attractive hazelnut nuttiness. The palate carries citrus, lime zest and stone fruit flavours layered between a gentle toastiness, hazelnut and dusting of spice before leading deeper into a warm and textural middle palate with a nutty twist through the finish. Juicy, ripe fruited now with excellent potential for further ageing. Drink to 2035.

92 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, June 2026

Bellvale is a South Gippsland vineyard established by John Ellis in 1998 and purchased by the Gjergja family of Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate note in early 2025. All fruit is handpicked and transported to Kooyong, where the winemaking centres on preserving the vineyard’s inherent character.

The dry-grown high-density site is in the lush, cool and maritime influenced Tarwin River Valley on a north-facing hillside, its 19 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vines standing in deep red volcanic loam at an elevation of 165 to 195 metres.

From an almost picture perfect 2025 vintage, the moderate yield of grapes for this wine were harvested from the last week in March to the early days of April. The fruit was whole bunch pressed into French oak barriques and puncheons of which 15% were new, fermented with indigenous yeasts and left on lees for eleven months. It was filtered lightly in preparation of bottling.