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Josef Chromy Chardonnay is a classic cool climate style, showing notes of melon and granny smith apple, some mid palate creamy richness and taut linear acidity. Fruit is sourced from Josef Chromys estate vineyards in Relbia in Northern Tasmania. The Chardonnay is gently pressed to stainless steel for a cool ferment with full solids retained for fermentation to give richness and texture.

This wine is distinguished by a golden dress with green reflections. The nose is blossomed and reveals fresh citrus aromas (lemon, grapefruits) as well as acacia flowers.

The grapes for this wine come from the Belford vineyard owned by the Elliott family, situated 15km north/north-west of the Tyrrells winery. The grapes were handpicked then lightly crushed before a relatively cool fermentation in stainless steel. After a short period on gross lees, the wine was racked and left to mature in stainless steel until bottling. The last of the semillon picked, this wine has a fuller palate commonly associated with the Belford vineyard, with great fruit intensity and a slightly higher acid intensity than normal years due to the cooler growing conditions.

Lifted nose of citrus and nectarine with slight hints of hazelnut. Classic nectarine & citrus carry onto the palate with bright fruit intensity balanced by natural acidity and length. Delicate hints of lifted hazelnut notes are delivered by 9 months in puncheons & barriques; this is a fine & elegantly structured Chardonnay.

Elizabeth Semillon was first made by Mount Pleasant in 1967. Named for Her Majesty and inspired by the first royal visit to Australia in 1954, its appropriate that age only adds to this classic Hunter Valley Semillons character and class. This really is something special- James Halliday on the 2010 vintage Grapefruit and cut grass greet the nose, and the palate is at once energetic and fleshy, a stream of fine acidity lending freshness. Elizabeth is built for the ages, and will evolve gracefully with careful cellaring.

Floral fruit in youth, moving towards biscuity characters with age. A generally softer bodied palate with smoother acids than the Vat 1 and Belford Semillons.

The love affair with alternative Italian varietals continues at David Hook wines. Pecorino is a new arrival, but it was well worth the wait. So latent yet complex.Very pale with a silver fleck. Grapefruit pith, yellow apple and almond aromas. Light-bodied yet very expressive with a bright mix of white and yellow fruit, an underlying nutty layer, mouth-watering acidity and a touch of talc-like grip.

A different expression altogether sans the benefit of bottle age. Youthful. Zesty. Punchy. As filigreed of talcy acidity and fine boned as the rest of the crew, this is guava, lemon grass and sherbet, teeming along a line of candied citrus chew. The wine will blossom in the medium term, but will not shy away from some aged furrows and complexity. Alcohol: 12%. Closure: screwcap. Date tasted: Jan 2018. Drink by: 2029. Price: $35. Rating: 94/100.