2025 Toolangi Pauls Lane Chardonnay

This wine from Kaspar Hermann proves he's making some of the most compelling Chardonnay in the Yarra Valley right now.

The fruit is sourced from just 20 rows of original 1995 plantings in the estate's D Block. After a couple of lean years, a mild spring gave these mature I10V3 clone vines a chance to bounce back, with the team picking on March 2nd - a full three weeks earlier than the cool 2024 harvest the year before.

Kaspar crushed and destemmed the grapes before pressing them to French oak (20% new) for nine months on lees. He intentionally blocks malolactic fermentation here, letting the natural punch and acid of these older vines drive the show.

It hits the palate with intent, lots of bright, sharp citrus, ripe stone fruit, a hit of spice, and a salty, briny flick on the finish. It’s tight, energetic, and completely delicious full-tilt Chardonnay from a winemaker at the top of his game.

96 points
"It's generous on the palate, to be sure, but there's a fine thread of grapefruit-like acidity on the long, structured finish. A lovely wine that'll age well over the next six to eight years at least."
- Philip Rich (The Wine Companion)