2021 Swinging Bridge Hill Park Chardonnay

Block 7 of the Hill Park Vineyard sits at 900 metres above sea level on a south-facing slope and is one of the last places in Orange to ripen each year. It’s a site of real nuance, broken into three distinct soil types, each managed and harvested separately to capture the vineyard’s full spectrum of flavour and texture.

The 2021 vintage was cool and slow, with yields down but quality high  - ideal conditions for crafting structured, expressive Chardonnay. Winemaker Tom Ward handled the fruit gently, whole-bunch pressing and fermenting wild in French oak, with 25% new. A short élevage on lees (eight months) adds subtle weight and complexity.

This is a taut, focused wine - citrus peel, white flowers, a little almond meal and struck match complexity. There’s richness here, but the shape is long and fine, driven by acidity and subtle chalky phenolics. A standout regional Chardonnay from one of the Orange region’s most serious producers.

96 points
"A masterclass in cool-climate chardonnay, proof that you don’t have to sacrifice flavour at the altar of acidity. Candied grapefruit zest, white peaches, tarragon, pine/lime splice. Tight and racy. Flavour without fat, and the kind of thrilling acidity that courses through you and sends sparks flying from your extremities."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)

95 points
 "Full to the brim with bright pineapple slices, white peach and yellow apple. A flinty reduction is complemented by perfectly ripe lemon rinds, marigold blooms and toasted popcorn kernels. The palate is leesy with a lactose creaminess and the acidity is powerful and undulating. The Hill Park site again delivers potency of force in a graceful manner, showing why Orange is in the driver's seat of cool-climate chardonnay."
- Shanteh Wale (Halliday Wine Companion)