2018 Yeringberg Chardonnay, Yarra Valley

Yeringberg is one of the Yarra Valley's oldest and most historically significant estates, planted in the 19th century and revived starting in 1969 by third-generation growers Guill and Katherine de Pury after decades of the vineyard lying fallow. Today the estate is helmed by fourth-generation winemaker Sandra de Pury, with her brother David overseeing the vineyards. The Chardonnay is produced from some of the oldest vines in the Yarra Valley, low-yielding and dry-grown on silty loam soils, contributing to wines known for their finesse and age-worthiness. In the cellar, roughly half the juice begins fermentation in tank while the remainder is wild-fermented in French oak hogsheads (around 30% new), with malolactic fermentation occurring in barrel alongside nine months of lees stirring, a technique that builds the wine's rounded, textural richness. 2018 was widely regarded as an excellent Chardonnay vintage in the Yarra Valley, and Sandra de Pury herself described this release as showing the "hallmark finesse, delicacy and poise" the variety draws from the estate's vineyard. Expect a cool, crisp, and inviting nose of nectarine, white peach, and a hint of struck match, developing further with air into spicy, delicately buttery hazelnut and oatmeal richness, alongside notes of sour orange, lemon, and toast. On the palate, look for juicy, tangy stone fruit and creamy, nougat-like richness balanced by a firm cut of grapefruit acidity and a chalky, mineral-tinged texture, structured and bold without feeling heavy or over-worked. It closes with wonderful weight, drive, and length that belie its underlying elegance.