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.

Toolangi is a state forest just outside Healesville that was devastated during Black Saturday. The excellent vineyards remain, and continue to produce wines of personality and place. The Chardonnay combines varietal characters of quince and crab apple with some delicious nutty oak nuances. Its great value.

Shadowfax have a knack for producing unique wines of great character and complexity. Premium parcels of Pinot Noir were carefully selected for their aromatics and texture. This is wine of grace and intrigue, each layer of complexity only revealing itself ever so gradually. A joy to drink.

The Wittmanns and their ancestors have been wine-growers in southern Rheinhessen since 1663. Since 1990, the family has cultivated the vineyards according to controlled ecological guidelines, and since 2004, bio-dynamically. This Riesling has a fine aroma of yellow fruits and apple, clear, elegant structure and juicy freshness. Dry with a juicy acidity which harmonises with the typical earthy mineral tones; great finish.

The St Andrews range from Taylors fly the flag for the iconic South Australian winery. The ultra premium wines are the true expression of the winemaking talents and terroir in which the fruit in grown. The Riesling has taken a little time to develop, but is now showing brilliant lime, citrus and tropical fruit balanced with cutting acidity.

This cool climate Shiraz is superb - enticing the drinker with spice, clove and red berry fruit aromas. The palate is rich and concentrated, paying scant homage to its cool climate origins.

Conceived as a white wine development program, the Bin 51 Riesling soon became one of Penfolds' star performers. Eden Valley is an obvious choice of region for Riesling due to the higher altitude and cool climate. The wine offers delicate aromas of fresh cut apples and pears with a twist of lemon and minerality towards the end. A great deal of fruits and acidity makes for an interesting white wine with propensity to age gracefully if carefully cellared.

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.

This stunning Riesling from the West is all limes and citrus with great length and depth of flavour. The only problem with this wine is there is never enough to go around.

Almond and vanilla cream are co-mingled with melon and apple on a palate of satiny, lees-enhanced richness and vivid buoyancy. This manages to soothe and refresh in an unbeatable if not inimitable 2008 way, with brown spices and crushed stone adding complexity to its lingering finish.