The inspiration behind Lillydale Chardonnay is to collate a series of components which speak of the terroir whence they came, assembling them into a complete wine, which expresses the Yarra Valley as a whole. Richly barrel fermented and treated to a luxuriant lees stirring, Lillydale reveals long orchard fruit characters, defining the tastefully oaked Yarra Valley Chardonnay style.

Act Three of the exciting new opus from De Bortoli, a mostly Pinot Gris wine, predominantly from Wombat Creek Vineyard at Gladysdale in the Upper Yarra, vinified alongside a judicious measure of complimenting white varietals, to form a whole that's so much greater than the sum of parts. Judicious inclusions of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Blanc, for a measure of interest. So very easy to enjoy, well chilled alongside cheeses and gourmet delights, the definitive refresher to imbibe on a summer's day.

A new wave and the next big thing? Been around forever actually. Great Pinot Gris can only come from fine vineyards. There are two distinctive styles in Australia, zippy with lemon freshness and crisp acidity or the richer, textural, full bodied type. Both share an attractive mineral element that adds complexity. For all you anything but chardonnay drinkers, here's a generously flavoured white, derived from red coloured grapes, crisp and refined, born and bred for food, goes great with charcouterie, fresh seafoods or highly spiced cuisine.

A compelling experience in Chardonnay, crafted by a team of winemakers and viticulturalists who eschew the bland direction and market dominance, increasingly exerted by the oligopoly of corporate players. In a nutshell, they see themselves as innocent bystanders. A collation of Yarra valley harvests from the Primavera, Shaws Road and Tarraford sites, assembled around a core of splendid fruit from the distinguished Sexton estate vineyard on the Warramate Ranges at Coldstream.

A single superior block of vine at Gembrook, planted to the coolest aspects of the steepest slope on Hoddles Creek, always yielding a finely articulated Chablis style of Chardonnay, defined by its elegance, crystalline texture and exceptional length. Sheltered from the direct rays of the afternoon sun, the precious grapes in Syberia ripen slowly for a harvest that's without peer, the hand picked bunches are pressed to a selection of oak for ferments in the traditional Burgundian way, a strict barrel cull for excellence, reduces the final yield to a mere hundred dozen.

The Hoddles Creek property is a highly challenging site to manage, the steep slopes and temperate climes however, yield the finest Yarra Valley Pinot Gris. Nothing is done by half measure, the viticultural team afford great reverence for their vines and treat their fruit with respect. Grapes are selectively sorted and treated to a minimalist, old world vinification, foot stomped and chilled for a term of skin contact, pressed into pre loved oak barriques for timely completion of ferments. Pinot Gris for its own sake, a measure of stalkiness and fine grape tannins in exquisite balance.

Hoddles Creek Estate were established 1997 when the D'Anna family planted vines on property they had the foresight to acquire in 1960. Estate winemaker Franco D'Anna attributes his traineeship at Coldstream Hills, for the rigorous hygiene practices which are fundamental to the excellence of Hoddles Creek wine. Grapes are all hand picked and gently pressed, PInot Blanc loves to do its own thing for maximum expression, allowed to commence a natural ferment and six months gross lees, building substantial palate structure, juicy textures and a measure of pastoral funk.

Hoddles Creek was planned and developed from day one, with a view to crafting an artful range of superlative Yarra Valley wines. The most arduous aspects were planted, because they offered the best promise of outstanding quality fruit. Chilly mornings, vivid afternoon sun and extended ripening, profound vintages of intensely ripened berries. Enter an exquisitely proportioned Chardonnay which captures the attention with its broad bouquet and evocative perfumes, a match to coquille st jacques, seared pesto chicken or tuna steaks under dill, champignon and creme fraiche.

From a legendery Yarra Valley vineyard at Hoddles Creek, planted to a sorely challenging 32 degrees slope, a full hundred metres drop from top to bottom. Bastard Hill is a single block of exceptional vines, yielding a vigorous grapefruit nectarine style of Chardonnay, treated to the richness of wild indigenous yeast oak barrel ferments. An opulent, lees textural, big butternut palate, redolent of orchard fruits, honeycomb and brioche, mouthfilling and complex, layered with character and soundly structured, the Chardonnay of choice to accompany truffled squab or glazed crackling pork.

Assembled from a tally of the most illustrious Yarra Valley sites, Sexton Vineyard, Tarraford and Gruyere Farm, Applejack and Wombat Creek. Gingerly hand picked for whole bunch pressing and wild yeast ferments in 500 litres French oak puncheons, achieving a fully animate Chardonnay style, redolent of citrus and melon, creamy yet crystalline, offering a palate and breadth of exceptional balance and poise. Giant Steps are meticulous in all things Chardonnay, retaining the vitality of fruit from within the vineyard and encouraging the eloquence of each site as it speaks from the glass.

From the highest plantings in all Yarra Valley, Wombat Creek was established in the 1990s, with a view to assembling choice blocks Chardonnay and Pinot Noir into a premier Victorian sparkler. The quality of fruit however, now merits bottling as a superior growth in the Burgundian style. A rich, gorgeously proportioned Chardonnay, fully fleshed and exquisitely balanced, opulent with the boldness of grapefruit and butternut, complexed by the oyster shell and flint characters of a magnificently loqacious terroir, made to match alongside a sizzling sauté of frogs leg, chanterelles and snail.

The Giant Steps team pointedly sourced several conspicuous clones of Chardonnay from California, Burgundy and Champagne, to be established on the coolest, lowest slopes of the superlative Sexton property. Vine vigor and yields are naturally low, encouraging a low intervention approach to hand managed viticulture. The crisp, cool ripening conditions and flinty, almost mean soils of Yarra Valley's temperate slopes yield a vibrant style of Chardonnay in the nectarine, citrus, melon and white peach range of flavours.

Applejack was established 1997 along a breathtaking vista at Gladysdale on the Upper Yarra, a place of higher altitudes and cooler climes, ideal for mouth filling vintages of structured Chardonnay wines. Grapes are all hand picked and gingerly pressed into 500 litres French oak puncheons for a wild, indigenous yeast ferment. A course of hand stirred lees battonage releases the complexities within the sediments and infuses the palate with layers of character. Defined by its fruit flan delish and seasoned with sprinklings of baking spice, a mere 600 cases are made each vintage.

Evelyn County Estate continues to make thumping award winning Chardonnays. Chardonnay was one of the first three varieties to be planted at the vineyard in 95, whilst the first vintage Chardonnay was selected to be included on the Sydney Opera House's Bennalong Restaurant wine list. The year's growing season allowed for ideal fruit ripeness, whilst maintaining perfect natural acidity, a feature that is becoming pleasingly predictable in fruit sourced from the Evelyn County vineyard. The fruit displayed an intensity and power that carried through to the nose and the palate of the resulting wine.

Dominique Portet comes from a great lineage of notable winemakers, he clearly shines at Sauvignon Blanc, honing his style during tours of duty at Taltarni and Napa Valley's Clos du Val. Totally unworried about competition from across the Tasman, Portet's style of Sauvignon Blanc enjoys a growing demand in Qantas business class and throughout the world. Fashioned to be vital and exhilarating in it's youth, while appealing to those who are excited by what the French term a sauvage style of Sauvignon Blanc.

Moet & Chandon originally acquired the Green Point property with the intention of establishing a prestigious Australian label. Set in the verdant hills of Victoria's beautiful Yarra Valley, Domain Chandon continue to over deliver, completely dedicated to the production of the finest quality, cool climate wines. The excellence of their renowned sparkling is due in no small part to the quality of the estate's Yarra Valley Chardonnay. A regimen of extravagant Burgundian techniques achieve an immensely satisfying, mouth filling wine.

Diamond Valley have long been called upon for the quality of their Chardonnay, truly one of Victoria's quiet achievers with a succession of memorable vintages which are quite out of proportion to it's tiny size. Devotees of fine Yarra Valley Chardonnay will find Blue Label fully engrossing for it's complex yet seamless integration, enthusiasts of approachable and engaging white wines will be ingratiated by Diamond Valley's reliance on more fruit and less oak.

As the substantial inventory of De Bortoli estate and private grower vineyards continue to mature and to evolve their own individual character, many of these special sites, twenty years of age and older, are yielding unique and distinctive wines which articulate the expression of vineyard and terroir. Choice harvests which can demonstrate the affinity to be assembled into a Villages style of Yarra Valley wine, are co-vinified into a vital, unoaked Chardonnay of wild yeast battonage complexity and barrel ferment richness.

A wonderfully auspicious site for Riesling, Block A7 was planted to a propitious stretch of calcarous Humevale siltstone soils at Dixons Creek vineyard in 1987. Crafted to the timeless old world styling of its siblings along the Mosel and Valley Rhine, the fruit of Block 7 is all hand picked and treated to a long cool ferment, followed by a term on sediment lees to build delicate structure and infuse complexities. Elegant and fine, with a flourish of orange blossom and floral notes, its lithe, tightly focused palate is laden with mineral, defined by its balance and gentle lime acidity.

Fruit from the superlative Dixons Creek property continues to be the focus for tremendous single vineyard efforts by De Bortoli. There is a common thread in the detail and texture of wine from these older sites, as influenced by the vagaries of growing season and clime. Some splendid blocks of vine were established decades ago, today they yield the finest harvests in Yarra Valley. Fashioned from the pick of fruit on Section A5 at Dixons Creek, an extraordinary Chardonnay of prominent peach, melon and fig characters, a wine of focus, power and restraint.

Lusatia Park is one of the most distinguished vineyards in Yarra Valley, choice clones of closely spaced vines were planted to the north facing Block A in 1995, they yield a spectacular harvest of intense, finely structured Chardonnay with each vintage. Fruit is hand sorted and whole bunch pressed, racked to barrel for a wild yeast ferment and completion of malolactic, followed by a course of intermittent lees stirring until the spring. A minerally, highly nuanced style of Chardonnay, creamy textured with a gentle acidity, mouthfilling and briny in the old world way, delicious.

De Bortoli are all about nurturing the endowments of the land to be enthused by the bequest of season, the personality of good wine is indeed defined by the disposition of nature. An exemplary effort in Yarra Valley Chardonnay, fashioned to articulate a cornucopia of complex fruit characters over rich barrel ferment extracts, seasoned by nutty, vanilla cashew notes. The palate is superbly textured and manifestly elegant, captivating and compelling, before a long, exquisitely poised finish that's just gorgeous.

Situated amongst the scenic, cool ripening climes of Yarra Valley, the steep aspects and closely planted Coldstream Hills vines yield harvests of the finest Sauvignon Blanc. The wines here are quite literally hand made, not withstanding the skill of the winemakers, there has been no significant change in the art of vinification. The aim is to produce a definitive Yarra Valley Sauvignon Blanc, characterised by elegance and finesse, by silky supple texture, length of flavour and the ability to offer sophistication and complexity, within a forward drinking fruit driven style.

The pinnacle of cool climate Chardonnay viticulture, an intensely flavoured wine in full bloom, made from a very strict selection of the finest parcels, assembled around a backbone of the highly prestigious, low yielding House Block. Produced only in years where the quality is deemed to be exceptional, Coldstream Reserve displays attractive cool climate characters of stonefruit and citrus. Oak plays an important role, but does not dominate. Secondary characters of barrel ferments and soil grape solids impart minerality, adding further layers of complexity.

With well in excess of a hundred hectares under vine, completely estate owned and operated, Coldstream Hills can exercise their options to source grapes from a litany of Upper Yarra as well as Lower Yarra Valley vineyards, ensuring that only the best quality fruit is included into their profound Chardonnays. In lesser years, Coldstream does not release a Reserve, directing all their finest parcels into this very wine. The classically cool climate style of Chardonnay, with excellent intensity of fruit, rejuvenating acids and tightly reined in, well controlled oak.

Good growers know that to produce exceptional wines, they must start with top quality fruit. The scale of operations for most Yarra Valley vineyards borders on the boutique, making impracticable the automation which other regions enjoy. Hands on viticulture and a reliance on the vagaries of mother nature may be traditionalist and old hat, but close contact with the vines yields the finest fruit. A Chardonnay that's elegant with exuberant aromas of stonefruit and vanilla, closely followed by a buttery palate of cashews and citrus, melon and peach.

Domain Chandon takes aim to capture the affable charm of Victorian Sauvignon Blanc. Well rounded, crisp and dry with a juicy, flavourful palate, a contemporarily styled white wine, brimming with layers of sub tropical fruit, underpinned by herbaceousness and minerality. Fashioned from some of the finest harvests in Victoria, the perfect wine for every long and relaxed luncheon, serve chilled, idyllic as aperitif and perfect partner to good food.

The philosophy at Bress is that good fruit should be treated with respect, to let the wine make itself on its own time in its own way, with a minimal of intervention. A collation of superb Yarra Valley vineyards, grapes are gently whole bunch pressed to a mix of fermenters and seasoned French oak hogsheads for an exclusively wild yeast vinification, followed by six months lees stirring battonage. A fruit filled Chablis style, redolent of white peach, grapefruits and nectarine, exquiste balance throughout, an intensely savoury mid palate richness.

An assemblage of fruit grown to the Balgownie property in Bendigo with choice components from good vineyards in central Victoria and Yarra Valley. Influenced by the Mediterranean climes and temperate nights, Bendigo Sauvignon Blanc is characterised by warmer weather passionfruit and lychee. Slower ripening parcels from the cooler, lower latitudes and elevated aspects of Yarra Valley bring vital grass and mineral notes. An identifiable expression of Victorian Sauvignon Blanc, exhibiting good fruit, herbaceousness and immense drinkability factor.