2023 Lowestoft Estate Chardonnay

Tasmania might be cold, but Lowestoft’s Chardonnay game is absolutely on fire. Winemaker Liam McElhinney has pulled together pristine fruit from the Tasman Peninsula and East Coast to craft a Chardonnay that’s every bit as refined and complex as its Pinot stablemates.

With a naturally low-yielding vintage dialling up concentration and acidity, the fruit was whole bunch pressed straight to French oak, where wild ferments and extended lees work added layers of texture and depth. Half the wine was left unsulphured for three months to build extra savoury complexity, before it all came together in a final blend that’s equal parts tension and generosity.

The wine opens with zesty citrus, white peach and grapefruit, then stretches out into roasted hazelnut, honeycomb and finely judged oak spice. It’s powerful but balanced, a cool-climate Chardonnay that wears its richness with poise.

For fans of Tassie Chardonnay with a bit of presence, this one’s not to be missed. A confident, deeply impressive Chardonnay from the Apple Isle.

96 points
"There's a lot going on here. It's like an orchestra; you can hear it as a whole but are able to delineate and pick out individual instruments, politely golf (orchestra?) clapping as you go, marvelling at the tautly stretched fruit canvas, umami-rich acid line and overall composition and drive. A cracker."
- Dave Brookes (2024)