Gentle winemaking is the hallmark of Natallie Johnston, one of the most exciting young producers to come out of a place that just keeps on introducing us to exciting talent; the Yarra Valley.Made from a small Gruyere block at the foot of the valley, this Chardonnay speaks with a steady hand. It’s not chasing big gestures – just clarity, tension, and a bit of shape where it counts. Two clones picked on the same day, co-fermented in mostly seasoned oak, with a dab of new and a fair bit of lees work over nine months to flesh things out.There’s plenty going on without it ever feeling busy: preserved lemon, just-ripe stone fruit, a flicker of ginger biscuit. A saline snap through the mid-palate pulls everything into line. The acidity’s fine but firm, and the oak’s there if you’re looking – but it never pushes. What lingers is texture, not toast.It’s a wine built on small, deliberate choices. Nothing overdone, nothing unnecessary. Just a calm, savoury Chardonnay that feels like it knows exactly what it’s meant to be.
95 points“Nicely poised with its aromas of white peach, flowers, lemon zest and light marine scents. Equally subtle on the well-balanced and very even palate, finishing tensile and long. It’s terrific, even now, but will continue to blossom over the short to medium term.”– Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)
94 points“This is such an enjoyable wine, not least for one that’s so finely-wrought and understated… It’s cool and clean, lightly spiced, crisp with apple and grapefruit, a fine dustiness to texture, a little bit juicy too, with a zesty finish of excellent length. Lovely. Highly recommended.” – Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
