Elegant, textural and a bit wild. Focused fruit is bound by texture and stimulates the palate. Aromas of baths salts, lanoline and green mango are backed up by the Mendoza clone punch. Chalky texture and an all-natural acid create tension and drive the palate. Sexy. Stella Bella Wines evolved from the fusion of two passionate minds, Stuart Pym and Janice McDonald. They had a strong belief in the unique and expressive terroir of the Margaret River region, and it was this belief that carried them on their journey to create Stella Bella Wines. Back in 1996, Stuart and Janice took over the 'Suckfizzle' Vineyard, believing that its distinctive location would produce unique wines. They weren't wrong, and in 1998 the first vintage of Suckfizzle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon was released. The Stella Bella name was launched in the following yers, as their portfolio of wines grew. They added an estate range, an entry-level range under the label Skuttlebutt, and a premium range labelled, Serie Luminosa. In 2013, Stuart handed over the reins as Chief Winemaker to Luke Joliffe. Today, the Stella Bella team work with a variety of vineyards dotted throughout the Margaret River - Darch, Isca, Forest Grove, Karridale and, of course, Suckfizzle. Each site encapsulates a different aspect and terroir of the Margaret River, allowing Luke and his team to create harmonious blends across different vineyards, or to isolate single vineyard expressions and showcase the individual vineyard characteristics.

Pale colour, aromatic nashi pear, lemon and white scented flowers with a fragrant light toast. A precise palate of harmonious oak teamed with grapefruit pith and white fleshed fruit. Long , textural and clean. The season for the Geographe wine region was cool and dry. The five months until the end of January had yielded little rain, about 70mm less than the same period last year The cooler weather also disrupted flowering and fruit set resulting in much smaller bunch sizes and high incidence of hen and chicken, especially in Chardonnay. The January 2019 average temperature of 21.3 was two degrees Celsius lower than the 23.3 of 2016. Ideal weather for stunning white wines.A combination of hand picked, whole bunch pressed and machine harvested fruit, allowed to proceed directly to ferment with wild and cultured yeast in French oak barriques. After fermentation, the wine is assessed for fruit purity and lees complexity, and winemaking is then tailor made on a barrel by barrel basis, with each having its own identity. Two hours south of Perth in the Ferguson Valley sub-region of Geographe is where youll find Willow Bridge Estate. Jeff and Vicki Dewar bought the vineyard in 1996 and enlisted the expertise of Kim Horton and Dougal Herd to create premium wines that are exceptional value for money. In 1997 they planted 100 acres of wine grapes and held their breath. Then another 50 acres were planted in 1998, making Willow Bridge the biggest planting in what was then a largely unknown region. The vineyard is sited high on the western watershed of the Darling Ranges, with the vines enjoying spectacular views over the coastal plain, and across the waters of Geographe Bay to Cape Naturaliste. The vineyard is 25km from the coast as the crow flies, and receives the cooling afternoon sea breeze during summer. At an elevation between 230 and 280 meters, the estate is generally two degrees or more cooler than the coastal plain, with ripening times similar to the cool southern parts of the neighbouring Margaret River wine region.

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.

In Margaret River, considered one of Australia's premium chardonnay growing regions, Cape Mentelle creates wines of plush texture, depth and power, yet balanced with a fine frame of acidity. This Chardonnay is predominantly from our Chapman Brook Vineyard,established in 1994 in the cool southern half of Margaret River. The cooler climate captures the freshness and vibrancy of the variety. Yellow hay with a bright gold hue. A tropical nose of yellow peaches, melon and mandarin. Generous fruit intensity on the flowing palate, rich with rock melon, pistachio, lemon curd and orange blossom, lifting with a zesty, crisp acidity.

The Cullen Metricup Chardonnay is a fresh and elegant expression from Margaret River, crafted with a minimalist, natural approach. The Chardonnay is from the Metricup area, and comes with authentic sustainable credentials from a certified organic vineyard in conversion to biodynamic.

Woodlands Chardonnay has an attractive nose of grapefruit enhanced by some oak characters. A wine of some finesse with the elements of fruit, oak and acid coming together to produce a wine of exceptional balance and length.

Flametree are nestled in the picturesque Margaret River wine region where they continue to be surrounded by a buzz and excitement centred on the quality wine they are producing. Attention to detail is paramount in the winery where careful site, clonal and oak selections are made to produce exceptional Chardonnay's like this one. Characters of dried pears, grapefruit, melon and fig are balanced with searing acidity and a length of flavour that speaks to its promising future.

Complex aromas, delicate pear and citrus fruit flavours enhanced by French oak.

The Lenton Brae Southside Chardonnay plays off the already established Wilyabrup Chardonnay with a fresh, vibrant feel to the wine. A cleansing line of acid is evident throughout the palate as is the textured mouthfeel courtesy of 'wild' primary fermentation and the addition of quality oak to the process. Designed to be enjoyed in its youth, this classic Margaret River Chardonnay will also enjoy some short to medium-term cellaring to coax out its true essence.