Each year, the annual ‘Year in Review‘ blind tasting brings together what a dedicated group of Chardonnay specialists considers the finest Australian Chardonnays – selected from reviews published throughout the year on The Wine Front. Spearheaded by John Humphreys and joined by the ever-discerning ‘tWferati,’ the group curates an elite line-up of top-rated wines for one extraordinary tasting event. It’s the kind of gathering any wine lover would dream of – who wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall at that tasting?! Read the full report here.
Humphreys introduces this year’s report with “…the never-ending quest to produce premium Australian Chardonnays continues unabated with passion and enthusiasm. It’s been almost a year since the last Review, and many Chardonnays (principally from the 2023 vintage but also some from the 2022 and 2024 vintages) have received qualifying ratings (96 or higher) on The Wine Front (TWF) since that Review in July 2024.”
The 36 wines pulled together for this year’s Review (and report) are as follows:
- 2022 Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Brunnen Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2022 Battles Wine, The Burnside Chardonnay (Panel Selection)*
- 2022 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2022 Oakridge 864 Funder & Diamond Drive Block Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 97 points)
- 2022 Oakridge 864 Aqueduct Block Henk Vineyard Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2022 Giaconda Nantua Les Deux Chardonnay (Panel Selection)*
- 2022 Fighting Gully Road Smith’s Vineyard Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 97 points)
- 2023 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Battles Wine, The Burnside Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Pooley Butcher’s Hill Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Pooley Cooinda Vale Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Giant Steps Bastard Hill Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Bodega Chacra Mainqué Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Bodega Chacra Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 97 points)
- 2023 Serrat Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Holyman Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Cobaw Ridge Chardonnay (Mike Bennie, 97 points)
- 2023 McHenry Hohnen Burnside Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Bindi Quartz Chardonnay (Panel Selection)*
- 2023 Hutton Wines Reserve Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Pierro Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Sorrenberg Chardonnay (Mike Bennie 96 points)
- 2023 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Stella Bella Suckfizzle Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Paralian Wines Bowyer Ridge Chardonnay (Panel Selection)*
- 2023 Flametree SRS Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2023 Savaterre Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Shaw + Smith Lenswood Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2023 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 98 points)
- 2023 Vasse Felix ‘Heytesbury’ Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
- 2024 Patrick Sullivan Ada River Baw Baw Shire Chardonnay (Gary Walsh, 96 points)
- 2024 Mulline Portarlington Chardonnay (Campbell Mattinson, 96 points)
*”There were four Panel selections where either the relevant Chardonnays were not rated on TWF (the 2022 Battles Wine, Burnside Chardonnay, the 2022 Giaconda Nantua Les Deux Chardonnay and the 2023 Bindi Quartz Chardonnay), or on the basis of preliminary tastings, the group decided that the wine had been underrated (the 2023 Paralian Wines Bowyer Ridge Chardonnay) and was worth having a look at in the context of this tasting.” John reports.
The Review’s six Beechworth wines finished up in the brackets below:
 – 96+/97 –
2023 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, 2022 Giaconda Nantua Les Deux Chardonnay.
 – 96 –
2023 Savaterre Chardonnay, 2022 Fighting Gully Road Smith’s Vineyard Chardonnay, 2023 Sorrenberg Chardonnay.
 – 95/95+ –
2022 Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Brunnen Chardonnay.
To read more about the Review results and the conclusions, read more here.