Forester Estate focuses on showcasing the distinct regional characters of Margaret River fruit. Made by globally trained winemaker Todd Payne, this is a style of Chardonnay that has re-awakened the variety's popularity with consumers. Full flavoured, rich and ripe with a delicious spectrum of peach, cashew, grilled nut and mealy notes all balanced with some toasty oak and zesty length.

The aspiration of Oakridge LVS -- or Local Vineyard Series -- wines is to be outstanding expressions of single vineyards within the Yarra Valley. Local Vineyard Series wines enable wine lovers to compare and contrast the power of terroir and geography in winemaking. In essence, different grape varieties thrive in different soils, and Yarra Valley terroirs and altitudes vary widely. Oakridges expertise and understanding of the region allows viticulturists and winemakers to match a particular variety with a particular site -- with marvellous results. Almost all LVS wines are cellarworthy. The Willowlake Vineyard is just outside Gladysdale in Victorias Upper Yarra Valley. Planted in 1979 at an elevation 300 metres, the cool-grown Chardonnay here ranks with the regions very best. Add the skills of leading Chardonnay exponent David Bicknell and these hand-picked grapes become wines that express their variety and origin with consummate precision and flair.

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.

Margaret River makes some of Australias best Chardonnay and while its home to big names, we think Domaine Naturaliste, a smaller operator, is just as great, so were thrilled to share this with you. In the glass: Bright yellow, green highlights. On the nose: Nectarine, pineapple and lime with deluxe barrel notes.On the palate: Velvety with wonderful harmony and oyster shell and sea spray brightness. Lime juice-like acidity drives the intense yet refined fruit core with complex nuances of nougat and struck match.

Winemaker notes Colour: Pale Gold Bouquet: Our Reserve Chardonnay has a bright and lifted nose of sweet pastry, lemon curd and fleshy white stonefruit. Palate: The palate displays a rich and layered mix of fresh stonefruit, citrus and intense vanilla bean flavours. A fine mineral thread ensures a wine of length and persistence. Viticulture The vineyard is planted on Karri loam gravel soils with underlying laterite. Vine rows run north south down a moderate north facing slope and are clone Gin-Gin with trellis structured to vertical shoot positioning. The vineyard is subject to the cool Southern Ocean breezes and ripens slowly, evenly and with naturally high acidity. Winemaking The fruit is handpicked then cooled before whole bunch pressing. New and seasoned barrels are filled directly from the press to enhance complexity. Only the free run fraction is reserved with harder pressings separated to ensure a delicate and fine expression of the fruit in this wine. The juice is left to ferment spontaneously and can take up to three weeks to ferment with some cooling at the height of ferment. After ferment the barrels are topped and gently stirred with inert gas protection monthly. A small number of barrels were encouraged to finish malolactic fermentation to ameliorate the natural acidity. After nine months in barrel the wine is assembled in tank and aged on lees to further encourage complexity.

This Margaret River classic has reached a beautifully rounded maturity, softening its initial power into pure elegance. The vibrant grapefruit and white stonefruit flavors have mellowed into a smooth, honeyed richness, perfectly complemented by a creamy cashew finish. It is silkier and more approachable than ever, a sophisticated, world-class white that feels luxurious and easy to drink right now.

Kevin Cullen was a passionate believer in the quality of Margaret River as a wine region and particularly of its potential to become one of the great areas for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here's his proof! [Biodynamic]

Pale yellow youthful green tinges, which I equate with quality young chardonnay. Aromatics are instantly very serious. Intense fruit nectarines and white peaches melding with lemon citrus beautiful French oak hovering just above the wine at the moment intense more than a cursory nod to Burgundy. The tiniest whiff of sulphides perfect for a wine of this age. When sipped, the wine shows its incredible intensity, no doubt derived from the very low yield.

"Dont miss this rare chance to secure a magnificent wine from a top producer thats in seriously short supply. Made by an acclaimed winemaker at the top of their game, this is a slice of wine history you dont want to miss. Add it to your collection while you can."