CREDARO 1000 Crowns Chardonnay, Margaret River The Credaro family, originally from northern Italy, settled in Margaret River in 1922. Brothers Cesaro and Olympio worked in agriculture and the timber industry and helped build the regions first bridges, railways and major roads. The family also made wine every year for themselves and their neighbours. Commercial involvement in the wine industry had to wait until the 1980s, when the Credaros began supplying other established Margaret River wineries. In 2019 the family owned and/or managed 110ha of vineyard over five sites across the region and built a 1200-tonne winery near Yallingup in northern Margaret River, in 2003. 1000 crowns (nominally $500) was the Credaro familys original investment and the name is today applied to their flagship wines. The 1000 Crowns Chardonnay typically shows fragrant white peach and citrus aromas with pear and nougat nuances. The palate is rich with flavours of stonefruits, grapefruit and citrus blossom complemented by a creamy texture from lees influence. A fine acid line provides a mineral framework and fruit flavours generally linger through a long, flavoursome finish.

Lifted ripe nashi pears, lemon, quince, and melon, lying beneath are notes of freshly grown lavender blossom with hints of sweet baked apple pie crust and cassia bark from the wines time on yeast lees in bottle. A lovely textural palate is evident immediately, showing quince, subtle lime and just caramelized nougat. This Leeuwin Estate Brut Pinot Noir Chardonnay displays a fine bead that threads the acid line into a seductive mouth filling and long palate.

Pears, stone fruit and citrus gives way to a creamy, nutty middle and fresh acidity to close.

One of the best value Margaret River Chardonnays out there. Michael Kerrigan is doing an amazing job producing Chardonnays of elegance. Hay Shed Hill has delicate grapefruit and stone fruit flavours on the palate. And these flavours are matched with fine, minerally acidity with suble oak towards the finish.

An elegant, vibrant and fragrant nose with lemon, lime and pear in the foreground. Notes of peach blossom and subtle jasmine create lift and combines with cardamom pod, almond meal and roasted cashew. The palate has immense purity, with power and persistence. Lime and lemon pith define the palate, which carries through to a delicately layered middle, threaded with a fine mineral spine. Sesame seed and blanched almonds enhance complexity, finishing with a sparkling acid structure. This wine has energy in its youth, and will build texture with cellaring.

The Yarra Valley is one of the heavyweight regions for Australian Chardonnay, with finesse and length of flavour the hallmarks of the regional style. In the glass: Pale lemon green. On the nose: Apple, grapefruit, oatmeal and almond aromas. On the palate: Fine, elegant and poised yet with power and drive and a delicious core of white and yellow fruits. A savoury, almost salty layer adds complexity, velvety texture and racy acidity.

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.

Lifted aromas of ripe peach, nectarine and cantaloupe and mixed spice with toasty notes. On the palate, complex flavours of ripe peaches and cream with lively nectarine, biscuit and yeast notes and mineral like acidity.

From the Singlefile vineyard in the Denmark sub-region on the Great Southern, this is a modern styled. lightly oaked chardonnay showing grapefruit and white peach aromas and sublte oak. The palate displays citrus and stone fruit with a soft creamy finish.