These three young Aussie Chardonnays are perfect for those hot late-summer days. Whether you’re looking for a light and refreshing Chardonnay or something a bit more complex, this spritely trio has you covered.
Against popular belief, wine doesn’t have to be old to be at its best. In fact the majority of wine—red or white—is consumed within a couple of hours of being purchased.
We’ve all done that, right?
In response, wine-makers are making a lot of their wine to be at or near its best as soon as it’s sold.
With the exception of some Rieslings, Semillons and Chardonnays, which develop a whole different set of flavours after a few years, white wine tends to lose that vitality and juiciness if you keep it too long.
A bright refreshing young Chardonnay is the perfect antidote to a hot summer.
Full of citrus notes held together with oak and stone fruit, it quenches the thirst but is also interesting enough to keep you entertained.
These three Chardonnays are just the tonic to a hot day or steamy sultry evening.
Holm Oak 2022 Chardonnay
Set in the Tamar Valley and run by husband-and-wife team Bec (winemaker) and Tim (viticulturist) Duffy, Holm Oak crafts some superb wines including, as you’d expect from Tas, excellent Pinot Noirs.
This Chardonnay is the brand new release of one of Holm Oak’s most popular wines and is a superb example of a classic cold-climate Tasmanian Chardy.
For a young wine, this Chardonnay is amazingly smooth. It presents a satin oaky nose with a line of citrus that really comes to the fore when you taste.
The oakiness that you smell initially shows only briefly and to temper the citrus rather than adding a bag of butter that many people fear from Chardonnays. Crisp minerality leads through to a lovely finish that urges you to take another sip.
Lively, bright and lemony, this young Chardonnay is so refreshing. Cellaring would probably dull these citrus notes, which would be a shame.
Oakvale 2021 Chardonnay
With a history going back 130 years, Oakvale is one of the old guard of Hunter Valley wines.
Using minimal-intervention winemaking techniques and organic grapes from the winery’s local vineyard, Oakvale creates some amazing wines, though Chardonnay and Shiraz are their forte.
This young Chardonnay has fine oaky lines, with stone fruit and blossom in the aroma. This leads through to a soft creamy taste and texture.
There’s a bit of citrus to this Chardonnay, but this one’s more about delicate floral notes hiding behind gentle oak and stone fruit.
A wonderfully easy-drinking wine, this is a perfect drink-now young Chardonnay.
Scarborough 2019 Yellow Label Chardonnay
A classic Hunter Valley Chardonnay made by legends of the industry, the Scarborough Yellow Label is such a solid option for Chardy lovers.
Light oak and white peach aromas give way to the amazing structure and body of this wine as you taste. Oak comes through but so does citrus, cutting through that unctuous savoury note of wooded wine.
Creaminess from lees-ageing and spice from French oak couple with the lemon and light peach of the grapes for a great all-rounder Chardonnay.
