2018 Lyons Will Estate Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges

From the original block, these handpicked 22-year-old vines yielded just over 1 tonne per acre. The fruit was basket pressed and barrel fermented with wild yeast in 20% new oak. The wine is then aged on lees with minimal intervention for 10 months. This is really quite effusive on the nose with aromas of ripe yellow citrus, peach stone, corn kernels, a hint of smoky reduction and a subtle waft of oak spice to support. The palate is both svelte and generous, with a beguiling nervosity too. Lovely saline-like minerality leads to a long finish and dare I say it, very Chablis-like.

Winemaker: Oliver Rapson

This single block basket pressed wine is picked as early as possible to preserve freshness. Destemmed and placed into a wooden press with stalk, this juice is then pumped into barriques with gross lees and left to ferment on its own accord. Very little is done to this wine between this stage and settling, however the wine doesn't see through full malo. Once in barrel for 11 months the wine is moved into a settling tank, where its it then fined with vegan friendly bentonite. Racked a few weeks later this wine is put through a gentle pad filter before its is then ready for bottling. After 6-8 months of bottling aging the wine is released.