The flagship white wine from Hardy's, the Eileen Hardy has become one of Australia's benchmark Chardonnays. Complex, elegant and very much cool climate in style it drinks superbly now and will only improve.

Is this Australia's best Chardonnay? If not then it shares the rarified air reserved for only the finest examples. Rich yet restrained, with mineral notes, cashew and almond meal, amazing fruit complexity and wonderful length...why not try the benchmark?

This wine is made from two parcels which are found on the border of the communes of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. The first, which is to the left of the Clos des Perrières, has clay/limestone soil and a subsoil of volcanic rock which allows a healthy root system to develop in this limestone-rich environment. The second is on the upper slope and overlooks the Perrières quarry. Here the soil is heavily limestone, partly as marl and partly as white rock. This is interesting for the way it brings mineral notes to the wine. During tastings it often find notes of white pepper and other spices both on the nose and on the palate.

The Bonneau du Martray family is recognized as one of the best producers in the Corton appellation, and their Corton-Charlemagne is renowned as one of the benchmarks of the region. Produced from low-yielding vines, 16 different parcels of grapes are vinified separately in order for their respective "terroirs" to be reflected in the final wine. Fermentation begins in stainless steel and after 5 or 6 days is completed in cask. The separate cuvées are matured in one-third new oak barrels for 12 months before being assembled and returned to cask for another 6 months prior to being bottled.

Krug Clos du Mesnil is a single-vintage, single-vineyard wine, one of two in the Krug portfolio. It is a blanc-de-blancs (100% Chardonnay) and is considered to be among the finest expressions of this Champagne style. Clos du Mesnil is a 1.84ha walled vineyard (clos) in the centre of the Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the greatest all-Chardonnay villages of the Côte des Blancs It was included in a larger vineyard purchase made by Remi and Henri Krug in 1979. Krug stresses that the wall itself (built in 1698), plus the unusual location in the centre of the village, create a unique micro-climate that justifies the decision to make what was the first single-site wine in Krugs history.

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.

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.