Hints of kiwifruit and an undertone of white peach embraced by bright acidity giving it a fresh finish.

Floral with pear, spice and citrus flavours light to medium weight soft acid to close.

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.

Yabby Lake Vineyard Single Vineyard, Pinot Gris, Mornington Peninsula Hailing from the Tuerong region of Mornington Peninsula, this Pinot Gris is a pure single-vineyard wine that reflects the terroir. While Tom Carsons adds some winemaking techniques to give texture to the fresh cool-climate Gris. The fruit is hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed prior to being wild fermented half on steel and half on old French 500L puncheons.

Oakridge Wines Vineyard Series Willowlake Chardonnay, Yarra Valley The wines from the Willowlake Vineyard provide a fascinating contrast to those from the Henk Vineyard. First planted in 1992, the vineyard is located near Gladysdale and boasts red volcanic soils and an elevation of 170 metres. Like every wine in the Vineyard Series, minimal intervention in the winery is the name of the game. After hand harvesting, whole bunches are included in the fermentation which takes place in 500 litre French oak puncheons. After nine months maturation on yeast lees, the resulting wine serves up complex characters of citrus, nectarine, fresh dough and gun flint. In a word, its sublime.

Coldstream Hills has been consistently producing excellent Yarra Valley Chardonnay for years and if anything it keeps getting better. Stone fruit and grapefruit characters are supported by creamy nutty oak.

Yering Station's Yarra Chardonnay displays citrus and subtle cashew notes on the nose with soft minerality and freshness. The palate has great texture and roundness with linear acidity with wonderful length and precision.

Ten Minutes by Tractor are true artisans of the Mornington Peninsula wine region, hand-crafting wines of pure terroir. Even with their more affordable range, the 10X wines, the sense of place in the wines is truly discernible. In their Pinot Gris notes of pear, quince and honeyed spice can be found in abundance along with a luscious mouth feel and length of flavour.

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.