When it comes to Chardonnay, Australia hits the ball way out of the park. The sheer number of exceptional Australian Chardonnays is amazing. This is one of them. The Giant Steps’ “Sexton” Chardonnay opens with enticing aromas of homemade bread coming out of the oven. From there, the wine is rich, earthy, savory, and has wave after wave of flavor. The finish is beautifully long. If you love opulent Chardonnays that are refined too, this is for you.

The 2019 Fijnbosch Chardonnay greets with oaky and flinty nuances, accompanied by notes of nuts and lees. Expensive oak wafts from the glass with hints of graham crackers, yellow apples and popcorn kernel. Medium to full-bodied, the wine expands on the palate to reveal great complexity and freshness, with hints of wild brush and citrusy blossoms. Impressive weight and longevity are apparent, with a long, spicy finish. Yum! This wine is collectible stuff!

Made in a definite Burgundian style and sourced from the prime growing area in Sonoma, there are predominant aromas and flavors of raspberry, enhanced by rose petal and cedar notes. Jammy flavors abound, including plum and black cherry with hints of mocha and silky tannins on the finish.

This wine exhibits a wildly exotic nose of orange blossom, candied lemon peel and cherry lollipop that evolves with every swirl. The medium bodied palate dazzles with vibrant acidity, juicy red fruit and plenty of length. Expect this beauty to age marvelously for a decade or more. Drink 2025–2035. Cellar Selection.

From an 800 m vineyard with grey soils. Clones Abel, MV6, Pommard, 114, 115. There’s a lovely purity of fruit here: raspberry and strawberry with nice spicy notes. There’s a richness and silkiness but also some nice tannin. Lovely fruit presence with really fine structure, as well as hints of beetroot and plum, and fine pepper notes. Stays elegant but has ageing potential.

This is in the upper Yarra, which is more sparsely planted, and is a sloping vineyard. Planted with a sparkling clone. Giant Steps are working on the canopy structure here trying to shelter the fruit, because they don’t like sunny skins on Chardonnay. It’s a 13 hectare vineyard with 2 hectares of Chardonnay. Restrained on the nose with hazelnut and almond, as well as some apple skin, some mealy hints, and delicate lemon. Linear and focused on the palate with good fruit, nice freshness and a sort of tension.

This is the home vineyard, planted in 1997, and it’s a 30 hectare site with 12 hectares of Chardonnay. Because of Phil Sexton’s connection to Margaret River he wanted to plant gin gin clone, but Melanie thinks that there’s a lot of Mendoza clone, which is quite similar, as well as some true gin gin. There’s also some of the Bernard clones, too. There are lots of different aspects to this site. This shows lovely texture and intensity. Mineral and taut with lemony notes and some subtle ginger and pear. Nice saltiness here and a touch of structure. Lovely detail and precision.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Colline Vineyard erupts with powerful notes of plum preserves, blackcurrant cordial, and blueberry pie followed by hints of camphor, hoisin, star anise, and dark chocolate with a waft of Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate delivers a velvety texture and seamless freshness to support the opulent black and blue fruit preserves, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Only 100 cases were made.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2014 Rockfall Cabernet Sauvignon offers up evocative and wonderfully savory notes of tapenade, black truffle oil, and dried Provence herbs leading to a core of plum preserves, creme de cassis, and unsmoked cigars. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock full of evolving black fruit preserves with savory nuances and plush, polymerized tannins, finishing with a minerally lift.

The 2021 Red Point Chardonnay needs a lot of swirling to coax out notes of Bosc pears, green guava, and orange blossom plus nuances of Marcona almonds, crushed stones, and lemon drops. The medium-bodied palate is tightly knit and refreshing, with a wonderfully silky texture and loads of zip from the acidity and citrusy notes, finishing with great length. 380 cases were made.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2019 Monolith Cabernet Sauvignon is a little shy to begin, needing some coaxing to bring out notes of fresh black and red currants, boysenberries, and bay leaves followed by hints of crushed rocks, mossy tree bark, and iris bulb. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound and minerally, with firm, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and earthy.

The 2021 Gravel Bench Chardonnay scoots out of the glass with eager-to-please notes of lime blossom, fresh pineapple, and lemon meringue pie giving way to touches of sea spray and marzipan. The medium-bodied palate delivers great tension and a compelling grippiness to the texture with intense citrus and tropical layers, finishing with a skip in its step. 209 cases were made.

Intense notes of lime cordial, fresh grapefruit, and yuzu hop from the glass of the 2021 Broken Road Chardonnay, leading to hints of brine, almond croissant, and wet slate. The medium to full-bodied palate is super-intense and taut, with a crisp backbone and wonderfully creamy texture to counter, finishing long with a zesty lift. 340 cases were made.

The 2022 Three Jacks Vineyard Chardonnay bursts from the glass with bold notes of apple sauce, poached pears, and nutmeg followed by hints of ginger snaps and honeycomb. The medium to full-bodied palate is so creamy and spicy, with well-knit freshness and a long and gingery finish. This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Three Jacks Vineyard Chardonnay is sourced from a small vineyard in the heart of the Green Valley in the Russian River Valley AVA. It was planted in 1995 to four clonal selections: Old Wente, Rued, Dijon 95, and Clone 15.

The 2022 Stone Cote Vineyard Chardonnay prances out of the glass with showy notes of honey-drizzled peaches, ripe apricots, and honeycomb with wafts of candied ginger and wet pebbles. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with orchard fruit flavors supported by a refreshing line and silky texture, finishing on a chalky note. This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Stone Cote is sourced from a block within the Durell vineyard planted to Upper Barn selection and UCD 4. The site is an uplifted river bed.

The 2022 Sevens Bench Vineyard Chardonnay sashays out with gregarious notes of apple butter, ripe peaches, and pear tart followed by nuances of lemon drops and honeysuckle with a touch of lime blossom. The medium to full-bodied palate has a crisp backbone and decadently oily texture with a long chalky finish. This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Sevens Bench Vineyard is sourced from blocks planted on eroded and rocky Haire Clay Loam soils in Carneros. The wine is a blend of UCD 27, Batto, Calera, and Long selections.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Seascape Vineyard Pinot Noir struts from the glass with forthright notes of black cherries, black raspberries, and orange peel followed by hints of black pepper, juniper, and lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and vibrant, with perfumed black and red berry layers, finishing long and fragrant. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Seascape Vineyard is located on a panoramic ridgetop west of the town of Occidental, facing Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Outer Limits Vineyard Syrah prances out with pretty notes of crushed black cherries, fresh blackberries, and black raspberries leading to hints of cracked black pepper, tar, violets, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate is beautifully fragrant, with a firm frame of rounded tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and peppery. This is sourced from a south-west facing block located on a mountain ridge north of Fort Ross on the Sonoma Coast.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Old Vine Zinfandel flies out with profound scents of baked blackberries and plum preserves followed by hints of raspberry leaves, dried herbs, and cracked black pepper. The full-bodied palate is both refreshing and rich, with plush tannins and a long, earthy finish. This is a blend of six Designated Vineyard properties - old-vine, dry-farmed and low-yielding vineyards from the Russian River Valley AVA. The vines are more than 100 years old on average.

The 2022 Muldune Trail Pinot Noir is medium ruby-purple in color. Wonderfully fragrant notes of red roses and cinnamon toast give way to a core of kirsch, raspberry pie, and allspice with a hint of forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft and juicy with a racy line to support, finishing long and spicy. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It is sourced from an estate vineyard at the southern end of the Anderson Valley, located atop a 1,600-foot ridge.

The 2022 Maclean's Block Pinot Noir is medium ruby-purple in color. Scents of ripe blackberries, mulberries, and boysenberries leap from the glass, followed by nuances of licorice, tar, and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is bursting with blackberry and savory layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and a lively line, finishing earthy. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It is named after Don & Jennifer Hartford's son MacLean. MacLean's Block is on a vineyard located on a gentle east-facing slope, east of the town of Occidental.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Hailey's Block Pinot Noir opens with evocative notes of wild thyme, dried lavender, damp soil, and moss leading to a core of redcurrants, orange peel, and black pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate has firm, fine-grained tannins and a racy backbone providing a firm structure for the bright, muscular fruit, finishing long and tangy. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. From a very cool spot in Green Valley, Hailey's Block lies within the Arrendell Vineyard and is named after Don and Jennifer Hartford's daughter.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Far Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir shimmies out of the glass with energetic scents of Bing cherries, fresh strawberries, and mulberries followed by hints of roses, forest floor, and blood orange. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound, with impressive tension and a very long minerally finish. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It is sourced from a block located on a mountain ridge north of Fort Ross on the Sonoma Coast. The well-drained soils at an elevation of 800-1000 feet produce wines with a great sense of focus and minerality.

The 2022 DuPratt Vineyard Chardonnay springs with vivacious notes of lime leaves, orange blossom, and Granny Smith apples followed by suggestions of fresh grapefruit and yuzu zest. The medium-bodied palate is tightly knit and lively, with energetic citrus layers and a zesty finish. This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. The DuPratt Vineyard, planted in the early 1980s, is nestled among coastal redwoods at 1,500 feet, in the Mendocino Ridges AVA.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir slowly reveals notes of black cherries, fresh raspberries, and redcurrant leading to suggestions of bay leaves, mossy tree bark, and lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and refreshing, with loads of savory sparks and a long lifted finish. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Arrendell is a vineyard planted in 1975 to the heritage Martini clone. The vineyard, one of the coldest in the Russian River Valley, struggles to ripen less than one ton per acre of Pinot by Halloween most years.