2025 Port Phillip Estate Red Hill Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula

Port Phillip Estate is the Red Hill sibling of Kooyong in Tuerong, with both Mornington Peninsula estates under the ownership of the Gjergja Family. Port Phillip Estate draws fruit from two sites, with all wines made and bottled in-house at Kooyong by a team led by winemaker Tim Perrin. Winemaking practices detail-orientated but emphasise low-intervention through native ambient yeasts and gravity-led flow of wine. The wines are unfined, and mostly unfiltered.

Red Hill is a nine-hectare vineyard planted in stages from 1987. It is a north and east facing amphitheatre of deep, red volcanic loam at a 140-160 metre elevation. Iron-rich and moderately fertile, its wines have a bright and aromatic character.

Ideal spring conditions in 2025 led to excellent fruit set and beautifully balanced canopies. A warm summer provided optimal ripening and healthy crops rich in flavour. The hand-picked grapes were whole bunch pressed into a mixture of mostly seasoned French oak barrels, wild fermented, aged on lees without stirring and bottled with minimal filtration.

The vibrant nose opens with a spectrum of citrus fruit and white stone fruit, subtle nutty and flinty notes sitting in the background. The lively and savoury flavours echo the citrus theme, with light flintiness and textural grip. The flavours are held firmly by the overall brightness of the wine.

Capture the high-tension citrus drive and savoury character by pairing the wine to green vegetable tempura, kingfish sashimi with yuzu dressing or a tomato and whipped goat's cheese tart.