2025 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Chardonnay, Coal River Valley

A finely focused Coal River Valley chardonnay; whole-bunch pressed and wild fermented in 500L French oak (20% new) and matured on lees for a further 10 months. Tautly stretched citrus and stone fruits with hints of crushed stone, white flowers, some distant oatmeal, a wisp of struck flint, nougat, almond paste, minerals and judicial nutty oak. Filigreed with a brisk saline cadence, it's a wonderfully composed wine, all precision and drive, with a captivating slide of umami on the back end. Just delicious.13% 

96 points Special Value Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion 14 May 2026

Yabby Lake has long been one of Australia’s benchmark Chardonnay producers, though their Tasmanian project in the Coal River Valley shows just how compelling the winery’s cool climate vision has become. Founded by the Kirby family on the Mornington Peninsula and guided for many years by the exceptional winemaking of Tom Carson, Yabby Lake built its reputation on precision, vineyard expression and uncompromising quality. In Tasmania’s Coal River Valley, the combination of ancient sandstone soils, low rainfall and cold nights produces Chardonnay with extraordinary intensity and mineral drive while still retaining remarkable finesse.

The 2025 Single Vineyard release is stunningly detailed from the first pour. Aromas of white peach, grapefruit zest and Meyer lemon rise from the glass alongside subtle notes of struck flint, toasted hazelnut and fresh cream. There is a beautiful tension between fruit generosity and razor sharp acidity, something Tasmania does so effortlessly in great vintages. The palate feels layered and powerful yet incredibly controlled, unfolding slowly with flavours of nectarine, preserved lemon, oyster shell and gentle spice from beautifully judged oak maturation. Fine lees work brings texture and complexity without heaviness, while the finish stretches long and saline with lingering mineral precision that keeps drawing you back for another sip.

This is serious Australian Chardonnay that comfortably sits alongside top white Burgundy in both complexity and ageworthiness. Fresh lobster with beurre blanc would be sensational, though the wine would also shine beside roast chicken with tarragon, scallops with cauliflower purée or handmade crab pasta with brown butter and herbs. There is a quiet confidence to the wine that rewards patience in the glass, revealing more smoky mineral detail, citrus oil and savoury nuttiness over the course of an evening. While already captivating in its youth, the structure and balance suggest it will evolve magnificently over the next 10 to 15 years.

Critics continue to rave about Yabby Lake’s Chardonnays for their precision and world class quality, and this Tasmanian release feels like another major step forward. It captures everything collectors love about cool climate Chardonnay, purity, texture, minerality and length, while still delivering the drinkability and quiet pleasure that make the best bottles impossible to forget.