The Villa Maria Chardonnay 2022 is fruit-driven in style, exhibiting ripe peach with underlying citrus and fig characters. On the palate, these flavours are enhanced by a creamy texture and a delicate suggestion of oak. A medium-bodied Chardonnay that is styled for enjoyment upon release with or without food.

Moss Wood is one of the oldest Margaret River wineries and has an enviable reputation for high quality, stylish wines that are true to place. Arguably one of the country's top ten Chardonnays, this is a wine that demonstrates finesse and elegance in equal proportions to intensity and power. Fantastically bold yet classicly proportioned, this is a wine to be savoured with fine fare and great friends.

Bubb+Pooley Wines is a venture born out of passion and expertise. Justin Bubb and Anna Pooley, both with over 20 years of experience in winemaking across the globe, have finally decided to release their own wines. After working with premium vineyards throughout Tasmania, they are now collaborating with exceptional vineyards and people across the state to produce wines that connect with their philosophy of making wine from the ground up. Their use of concrete vessels is not an experiment but a traditional style of vessel that has been used for centuries in the Old World. Each shape has been chosen specifically to enhance the texture of the varietal within them and these beautiful, handcrafted vessels will last lifetimes. At Bubb+Pooley Wines, sustainability threads through and underpins their approach to everything they do. All of their decisions are focused on how they can do things better in order to minimize their impact on the environment. Their wines are raw, expressive and speak of place. The Coal River Valley wine region is located in Clarence, Tasmania, just northeast of Hobart. It was named after the first village that discovered coal in the area. The majority of grapes are grown on northern slopes and the region produces high-quality Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon blanc. The cool climate alluvial and sandy soils with a high concentration of clay sandstone provide a unique terroir for the wines. The Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay 2023 presents a luminous golden hue, offering a glimpse into the wine's inherent vibrancy and allure. This Chardonnay entices the senses with a captivating bouquet of ripe tropical fruits, including pineapple, mango,\ and hints of juicy peach, complemented by delicate notes of vanilla, toasted oak, and a subtle touch of hazelnut. The aroma exudes a harmonious blend of fruit-driven opulence and nuanced oak influences, creating a sensory delight. Upon tasting, the Chardonnay reveals a beautifully balanced interplay of flavors, showcasing the influence of its unique fermentation and maturation process. The wine's texture is luxuriously smooth, offering a delightful fusion of ripe citrus, tropical fruit and a subtle hint of baked apple, all underpinned by a delicate touch of creamy oak. The palate is marked by a delightful tension, transparency and energy, reflecting the wine's evolution and promise. The finish is enduring and invigorating, leaving a lasting impression of bright acidity, a touch of minerality and a lingering citrus zest, culminating in a deeply satisfying conclusion that hints at the wine's potential for further development. The Bubb + Pooley Chardonnay 2023 is a testament to the winemaking artistry and the unique approach to fermentation and maturation. With its tension, transparency, and energy, this wine embodies a promise of evolution and transformation, inviting anticipation and appreciation for the journey ahead. A wine that exudes both complexity and potential, it is poised to captivate and evolve, offering a compelling expression of Chardonnay that is as exciting as it is alluring.

The fall of communism in Hungary saw many new beginnings, and one of note for wine lovers was the formation of The Royal Tokaji Company by wine-writer Hugh Johnson, and a consortium of foreign investors with the sole vision of revitalising the magnificent sweet wines of Hungary. The Royal Tokaji Company today is a benchmark for the noble wines of the region, from their 3 Puttonyos wines at around 60-90 grams per litre of residual sugar through to the intense Essencia at 450-850 grams, they are wines that offer the drinker a unique insight to one of the great wine styles of the world. Fine quality Aszú berries with good structure and perfect botrytis were macerated in fermenting must for two days. After pressing and finishing fermentation the wines were filled into 300 and 500 litre Hungarian oak casks in our extensive, deep, underground cellars to mature for over two years. The final blends were carefully crafted in the spring of 2020. Bottled at 189 grams of residual sugar per litre. Rich intense nose with hints of orange peel and spice. Very fine and elegant wine, full-flavoured with vibrant acidity, citrus and peach on the palate with a long, balanced finish. Summer was hot, so we began the Aszú berry harvest in early September and continued to pick steadily in the ideal autumn weather. In particular October provided three textbook weeks for the development of fine quality Aszú, with day after day of early morning mists, afternoon sunshine and drying winds. The Aszú wines show great structure, plenty of botrytis, depth and freshness with excellent complexity, all attributes of long ageing potential.

The fall of communism in Hungary saw many new beginnings, and one of note for wine lovers was the formation of The Royal Tokaji Company by wine-writer Hugh Johnson, and a consortium of foreign investors with the sole vision of revitalising the magnificent sweet wines of Hungary. The Royal Tokaji Company today is a benchmark for the noble wines of the region, from their 3 Puttonyos wines at around 60-90 grams per litre of residual sugar through to the intense Essencia at 450-850 grams, they are wines that offer the drinker a unique insight to one of the great wine styles of the world. Harvest was the earliest in living memory and probably the earliest ever, providing good volumes of healthy, ripe grapes with firm acidity and excellent quality. The warm, dry autumn was more conducive to drying the grapes than to botrytis, but nevertheless we managed to pick a very satisfactory amount of fine quality Aszú berries, a generous proportion of which are included in this blend. Overall, a record-breaking and outstanding vintage, ripe, rich, and balanced. The grapes were harvested in October and at the beginning of November. After pressing, the settled juice was fermented in tanks and then the majority of the blend was transferred to barrels for five to six months ageing. Bottled at 108 grams of residual sugar per litre. Pale gold colour with delicate citrus and spicy aromas. Light and refreshing on the palate with hints of white peach and honey. It has an excellent acid balance, a smooth, silky texture and a clean, long, crisp finish.