Lethbridge Chardonnay 2023

Lethbridge Chardonnay brings three cool Geelong and Henty sites together under one label.

Yields across the sources average a meagre 25 hectolitres per hectare, which is the first thing to know about how this tastes. Hat Rock, on the Bellarine's north-facing slopes, was planted in 1996 on volcanic clay and loam over limestone and is cooled by Corio Bay. Suma Park, on the Swan Bay side, gives salt and chalk from shallow red clay above limestone. The home block at 270 metres, planted the same year, is the Moorabool Valley's coldest ground: thin black clay above bluestone, honeycomb basalt and limestone. Each parcel is pressed as bunches, ferments spontaneously in new oak, finishes malolactic and spends eleven months in 35 per cent new barrels built to order by John-Louis Bousset.

Vivid and deep, with white peach, grapefruit and crushed shell, considerable texture and a finish that keeps going. Top-shelf by any measure. Serve at 12 degrees, in a large glass. Match it with roast chicken, scallops, pork belly or aged Gruyere.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.