2018 Clarence House Reserve Chardonnay, Cambridge

Estate vineyard, Coal River Valley; matured 11 months in 30% new French oak barrels; minimal bâtonnage; barrel selection. This is a small price to pay for the top-tier chardonnay of the house, and the investment buys more wood, but more importantly the fruit concentration and drive of top barrel selection. White peach, lemon, grapefruit and fig are woven with spice and the roast cashew nuts of French oak. Bright acidity focuses a long and full finish.

94 points Tyson Stelzer winecompanion.com.au

Deep, complex nose combines soft citrus scents, lime, fresh herbs, minerals and stone. Juicy, stony and penetrating, with crystalline flavours of lemon and minerals. More complex than the young-vines example, with firm, perfectly integrated acids giving the wine a very brisk character. Stony, long and precise on the aftertaste.