For aspirants in pursuit of nothing but the best, hand picked and whole bunch pressed into a high proportion of new French oak for a wild indigenous yeast ferment, completion of malolactic and nine months lees stirring battonage. Each barrel is pointedly encouraged to complete its course as an individual wine until the final assemblage. Intensely aromatic of white nectarines, apricot and grapefruits over subtle creamy cashew and nougat richness, a richly textured, weighty palate framed by bright acidity and a veneer of the most delicate, showroom oak.

Sourced from vines planted in 1988 to quartz alluvial and volcanic soils on the lower slopes of Bindi. A beautifully fine and flavoursome wine, Composition can characterized by its fragrant notes of orange blossom, nectarine stone, spice and subtle nuttiness over a vibrant, tight and lengthy palate highlighted by clean acidity, wonderful texture and superb length. The site is special, increasingly low impact, organic outcomes are implemented, production varies from 300 to 600 dozen each vintage.

Barossa makes a gentler style of Chardonnay. The Schrapel family had the foresight to sow Chardonnay vines long ago, the quality of fruit that grows from these old plantings is now outstanding. A fortnight of ferment is followed by two months of lees stirring battonage on sedimentery lees. Grapefruit, apples and pears to the bouquet, the palate flows with delicate flavours, bakery and butternut, golden apple, peaches and quince. Like all great Chardonnay, Bethany affords the opportunity to experience a growing complexity of remarkable richness as the wine breathes and continues to evolve.

McLaren Vale makes august Chardonnay wines, multi dimensional, seamless and affable. Beresford planted their rootstock in the 1960s and now host some of the most auspicious Chardonnay vines. Barrel fermented in a high proportion of new French oak and treated to six months on yeast lees sediments to achieve palate flavour and textural richness. Lifted crème brulee, nectarine and peach, its luxurious French vanilla toastyness and sound weight of fruit makes Beresford the Chardonnay of choice to match white meats and roast game.

There are a mere five hectares Chardonnay at Bellvale, planted to a number of clones for opulence and complexity. Burgundian techniques of viticulture are the order of day, it is after all Gippsland, vine density is high and crop load is duly limited for harvests of the most superior quality. Time spent working vintages along the Cote d'Or translates into a refined, textural cool climate Chardonnay that's mineral and crisp, due to higher acidity, tightly structured, with a well defined balance between fruit, secondary evolved characters and seamlessly integrated oak.

The small but dedicated team at Bellvale take inspiration from the big boned Chardonnays of Cote de Beaune, drawing fruit off five closely managed hectares on the temperate, maritime windswept pasteurs of Gippsland south. Hand picking and sorting are a matter of course, lees exposure, barrel ferments and traditional Burgundian regimens add palate weight and flesh. A crisp, mineral style, defined by its penetrating acid line and evocative of Chablis, its fresh cut orchard fruit character and juicy apple zip are supported by a wafer of creamily spiced oak.

Bellingham's closely coddled block at Main Ridge yields a quality of Chardonnay which articulates the expression of a very special site. Hand picked fruit is whole bunch pressed and barrel fermented in a mix of new and seasoned French oak, followed by a traditional regimen of lees stirring and shrewd course of partial malolactic. The judiciousness of restrained oak encourages delicate white peach and subtle florals to emerge, a light toastyness and vanilla pod characters in support of juicy stone fruits, finish seamlessly on a length of perfectly pitched citrus acid.

Bellarmine jugs were used throughout the middle ages to carry wine from oak cask to table. The Bellarmine property at Pemberton was planted entirely by hand, vines were trained from ground up, to expose the ripening grapes to optimal sunshine. The terroirs and clime here are a Chardonnay maker's dream come true. Soils are red gravel laterite, offering excellent drainage while providing warmth to the vine root systems at night, courtesy of heat that the gravels have absorbed during the day. A lightly oaked wine, highly evocative of the dry and fruity Chablis style.

Toby Bekkers married into French viticulture. His wife returns to Chablis every year, to collate a few parcels of the finest village grown Chardonnay, for assemblage into a powerfully fruit driven wine. Bekkers Petit Chablis however is fashioned to Australian tastes, the precious harvests from a distinguished co operative of the most famous old vineyards, are treated to an invigoratingly unoaked ferment, brisk with oyster shell, chalk cliffs and fossil, her undulating citrus flavours and smoky minerality are underpinned by suave maritime salinity and juicy grape acidity.

The tranquil pasturelands of Gippsland share an affinity for Chardonnay with the timeless terroirs of La Bourgogne. Bass Phillip pioneered viticulture here, introducing the noblest of white grape in the 1980s. Phillip Jones maintains strictly controlled yields on his fastidiously husbanded Leongatha property, a costly regimen of pruning which permits less than a tonne and a half of fruit to the acre. The reward comes in the form of a buttery Montrachet style, brimming with grapefruits, bracing with crystal minerality and framed by a veneer of polished golden oak.

Grown to the balmy coastal climes of our great southern land, burnished by the extended northern sunshine and invigorated by the sobering winds off balmy Bass Strait. The moreishly rich grapefruit style, vinified from the exclusively free run pressings for pure pristine opulence, barrel fermented in lovely French oak and treated to the extravagance of lees stirring malolactic. Brilliantly proportioned of pineapple and pith, sherbet and citrus, its magnificent length of lime curd sweetness and oak influenced mineral, resolving on an awesome, seaspray oyster shell finish.

French influences abound at Bannockburn, where Sauvignon Blanc draws inspiration from the Sancerre districts of Vallée de la Loire, the emphasis being on elegance and depth of flavour. The maritime influenced climes surrounding Bannockburn's vineyards make for cool and stable ripening, combined with unique soils, providing sensational conditions for growing excellent Sauvignon Blanc. A combination of vinification techniques are employed to construct a singularly engaging wine, it's definitely not another boring, grassy, single dimension style.

Distinguished Langtons Classification. Bannockburn release a Chardonnay each year that accurately and faithfully reflects the merits of an exceptional terroir. This is far from easy, it is only achieved through dedication and resolve. The classic Bannockburn seashell characters are all her in good measure, as well as some interesting ginger and lemongrass, creme brulee, struck matchstick, roasted nuts and mealy influences, all beautifully integrated. Wonderful persistence and structure, the wine goes on and on, a lovely, lengthy, textural finish.

Chapman Grove were established in the 1990s, after a decade of search to identify the most propitious terroirs in all Margaret River. A wonderful old vineyard was discovered between Witchcliffe and Warner Glen, an elite site which provided harvests to the most prestigious brands, until the wines of Chapman Grove were ready to be bottled behind their own label. The Atticus Finch range is small in volume yet imposing in depth and breadth, only ever produced of the finest vintages. A Chardonnay of exuberance and profound weight of fruit, treated to a judicious measure of luxury French oak.

Craighall is widely considered to be a New Zealand flagship site with a big reputation for peerless quality fruit. An ultra fine expression of Chardonnay which may be likened to a New Zealand Grand Cru, planted to the tiny Mendoza clone, hand picked off thirty year old vines and treated to traditional old world winemaking techniques. Flawlessly balanced with vigorous palate and nose, vibrant minerality and a long, seamlessly layered finish.