Australia’s Finest Chardonnays – 27 December 2025 – Lamonts Cottesloe
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2025 11:56 am
G’day
I had the immense pleasure of attending Lamont’s “Australia’s Finest Chardonnays” tasting, hosted by the inimitable John Jens (JJ – local wine legend). John hosts similar events maybe once a year, and these are a highlight of Lamont’s (extensive) tasting calendar. Check out the website Lamont's Wine Tasting Program - Australia’s Largest Wine Tasting Program 2025 — Lamont's Cottesloe for details.
On the day, we looked at 19 of Australia’s finest chardonnays. There was an emphasis on the outstanding 2023 vintage in Western Australia, and interspersed with wines from other vintages and states. The wines were tasted blind in brackets of five (with one bracket of four), and the wines were revealed at the end of each bracket. Originally, the event was promoted as 16 chardonnays, but JJ generously threw in a few more on the day.
The notes below are in the order that the wines were tasted.
Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2024 (Tasmania): Pale lemon colour. The nose opens with a little struck match. There’s plenty here: yellow peach, nectarine, grilled nuts and a little citrus. The citrus (lemon mostly) cuts through more on the palate, with some ripe peach mid-palate. There’s clean acid, a slight texture or grip and a long finish.
McHenry Hohnen ‘Hazel’s Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Lemon colour. A mostly savoury nose initially, with some stone fruits emerging slowly. The palate was more giving than the nose, almost mouth-filling, with tangy lemon slightly dominating nectarine and moderate oak influences. Supporting acid and a medium to long finish.
Moss Wood Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. This wine stood out from the surrounding wines. Some sulphides on the nose initially, which was quite substantial. There’s peach skin, nectarine and warm grains. The palate is round, with more ripe peach and peach skins, and a touch of citrus and salinity. There’s sufficient soft acid to support the fruit flavours and the wine finishes long.
Giant Steps ‘Applejack Vineyard’ 2024 (Yarra Valley): Pale lemon colour. A clean nose, with light peach, nectarine and some vanillan oak. The palate also shows as clean, with slightly tart lemon and citrus dominating. There’s some grip on the palate, and a medium to long finish. I found this a little simple (in comparison to the surrounding wines) but others were very enthusiastic.
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale lemon colour. Lemon, lime and kiwi fruit on the nose, with a little nectarine and cedar. The palate shows more citrus, some peach and tropical fruits. There’s a little grip and the acid is currently dominating the fruit a little. Long length.
Cape Falls Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. The first vintage of this wine, which is made by Deep Woods’ Julian Langworthy. Struck match initially on the nose, with ripe peaches, nectarine and fig, supported by cedary oak (and a little vanilla). The palate is substantial, with stone fruits, lime, slight tannic grip and cedary oak. Excellent balance and considerable length.
Evans and Tate ‘Ellen’s Vineyard’ 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. A shy nose initially, with savoury and citrus notes. Slightly tart lemon on the palate, with a little peach, and acid dominant at this stage. Long finish, and needs time to settle down in my opinion; however, fellow tasters were very enthusiastic about it now.
Howard Park ‘Allingham’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. Initially shy nose, but opened up to show savoury notes, tropical fruits and plush oak. The palate shows lemon, lime, tinned pineapple and mealy characters. Acid is slightly dominant at this stage and quite a long finish. Another wine that needs time to settle down, but I have no doubt about its quality.
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2022 (multi region, 61% Tumbarumba, 26% Coal River Valley Tasmania): Pale to medium lemon colour. Sweet oak dominant nose at this point with tropical and stone fruits. The palate is mouth filling but finely balanced with citrus and tropical fruits, good supporting acid and plush oak. Long finish.
Oakridge 864 ‘Funder and Diamond’ Chardonnay 2023 (Yarra Valley): Pale lemon colour. Savoury and vanillan oak opens the nose, with citrus aromas, especially lemon and grapefruit. There’s more grapefruit on the palate with some stone fruits in the background. Cleansing acid and supporting cedary oak lead to quite a long finish.
Flametree SRS Chardonay 2023 (Margaret River): Lemon colour. A powerful nose with an even blend of vanillan oak, citrus and stone fruits. This balance applies equally to the palate, with polished oak, fig, grapefruit and lemon. A long finish and very well balanced.
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2023 (Yarra Valley): Pale to medium lemon. Slightly shy nose, with savoury and citrus notes (Lemon, grapefruit). There’s lemon pith dominating the palate, with good supporting acid and medium to long finish. This seemed a little one dimensional to me, in the surrounding company.
Stella Bella Suckfizzle Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale lemon colour. Initially shy nose, which opened to show lemon, lime and cedar. There’s considerable lime cordial on the palate with more cedary oak and accompanying grip. Noticeable acid and a medium to long finish.
Evans and Tate ‘Redbrook Reserve’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale lemon colour. Peach and citrus (including lime) on the nose. There’s more citrus and tropical fruits on the palate (lemon, lime, pineapple) with softer acid (not firm) and plush oak. Long finish and I don’t think my hastily scribbled notes are doing this justice.
Deep Woods Reserve Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River). Pale lemon colour. Struck match on the nose, with peach, nectarine, fig, a little citrus and tropical fruits. The palate shows cedary oak with more stone fruits. There’s just enough supporting acid without being too noticeable, and there’s a little textural grip. Long finish and well balanced.
Pierro Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Medium yellow colour. The nose was almost perfumed, with peach juice, florals, cedary oak and a little lemon/lime. The palate is similarly lifted with the oak more evident and the citrus dominating stone fruits. Plenty of acid and medium to long finish.
Vasse Felix ‘Heytesbury’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon in colour. A lovely blend of sweet vanillan oak and stone fruits on the nose. The palate is similarly layered, with peaches, citrus, cedary oak, good supporting acid, and a slightly grippy mouthfeel. Excellent length and totally in balance.
Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon in colour. A complex nose with lemon, nectarine, grapefruit, caramel (surprisingly) and excellent oak in the background. The palate is similarly layered with stone fruits emerging, more caramel and citrus. Acid is supportive and unobtrusive, while the oak is also present but not dominating, and all add to the complexity of the wine. Very long finish.
Giaconda Chardonnay 2017 (Beechworth): Full yellow in colour. Struck match, cedary oak, ripe peaches and figs on the nose. The palate is full and round, with some sulphides, and a blend of citrus and stone fruit characters. Acid is soft and supportive and there’s some grip and oak influence. Medium to long finish. This was definitely the outlier of the tasting, given its age and origin.
Some interesting points of discussion emerged (at my table at least) over the course of the tasting:
• Citrus and stone fruit characters in chardonnay. Given the Margaret River focus of this tasting, there are differences between wines made in the northern and central parts of Margaret River and those further south (including Karridale). The wines tend to show more stone fruits in the northern areas, with citrus becoming more evident from the more southerly locations. This is, of course, a generalisation, but it was interesting to note the range of preferences for citrus vs stone fruits across the table. I’ve noticed (from previous tastings with the same people) that the ‘citrus / stone fruit’ debate can apply to cooler / warmer vintages respectively as well. The fruit characters are also just one part of a wine’s interest.
• The Yarra Valley wines in this line-up did not show the same power as the Margaret River wines but certainly were not short of balance and interest.
• This was a blind tasting, but with a list of the wines provided in alphabetical order (bearing no resemblance to the tasting order). It was good to see how surprised some people were when each wine was unmasked (and of course they had attempted to identify the wine, mostly incorrectly). In some cases, these were pleasant surprises, given the range of price points for the wines- I’m sure a few people picked up some bargains as a result.
My profound thanks to JJ and the team at Lamonts for yet another memorable tasting.
Cheers
Allan
I had the immense pleasure of attending Lamont’s “Australia’s Finest Chardonnays” tasting, hosted by the inimitable John Jens (JJ – local wine legend). John hosts similar events maybe once a year, and these are a highlight of Lamont’s (extensive) tasting calendar. Check out the website Lamont's Wine Tasting Program - Australia’s Largest Wine Tasting Program 2025 — Lamont's Cottesloe for details.
On the day, we looked at 19 of Australia’s finest chardonnays. There was an emphasis on the outstanding 2023 vintage in Western Australia, and interspersed with wines from other vintages and states. The wines were tasted blind in brackets of five (with one bracket of four), and the wines were revealed at the end of each bracket. Originally, the event was promoted as 16 chardonnays, but JJ generously threw in a few more on the day.
The notes below are in the order that the wines were tasted.
Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2024 (Tasmania): Pale lemon colour. The nose opens with a little struck match. There’s plenty here: yellow peach, nectarine, grilled nuts and a little citrus. The citrus (lemon mostly) cuts through more on the palate, with some ripe peach mid-palate. There’s clean acid, a slight texture or grip and a long finish.
McHenry Hohnen ‘Hazel’s Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Lemon colour. A mostly savoury nose initially, with some stone fruits emerging slowly. The palate was more giving than the nose, almost mouth-filling, with tangy lemon slightly dominating nectarine and moderate oak influences. Supporting acid and a medium to long finish.
Moss Wood Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. This wine stood out from the surrounding wines. Some sulphides on the nose initially, which was quite substantial. There’s peach skin, nectarine and warm grains. The palate is round, with more ripe peach and peach skins, and a touch of citrus and salinity. There’s sufficient soft acid to support the fruit flavours and the wine finishes long.
Giant Steps ‘Applejack Vineyard’ 2024 (Yarra Valley): Pale lemon colour. A clean nose, with light peach, nectarine and some vanillan oak. The palate also shows as clean, with slightly tart lemon and citrus dominating. There’s some grip on the palate, and a medium to long finish. I found this a little simple (in comparison to the surrounding wines) but others were very enthusiastic.
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale lemon colour. Lemon, lime and kiwi fruit on the nose, with a little nectarine and cedar. The palate shows more citrus, some peach and tropical fruits. There’s a little grip and the acid is currently dominating the fruit a little. Long length.
Cape Falls Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. The first vintage of this wine, which is made by Deep Woods’ Julian Langworthy. Struck match initially on the nose, with ripe peaches, nectarine and fig, supported by cedary oak (and a little vanilla). The palate is substantial, with stone fruits, lime, slight tannic grip and cedary oak. Excellent balance and considerable length.
Evans and Tate ‘Ellen’s Vineyard’ 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. A shy nose initially, with savoury and citrus notes. Slightly tart lemon on the palate, with a little peach, and acid dominant at this stage. Long finish, and needs time to settle down in my opinion; however, fellow tasters were very enthusiastic about it now.
Howard Park ‘Allingham’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon colour. Initially shy nose, but opened up to show savoury notes, tropical fruits and plush oak. The palate shows lemon, lime, tinned pineapple and mealy characters. Acid is slightly dominant at this stage and quite a long finish. Another wine that needs time to settle down, but I have no doubt about its quality.
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2022 (multi region, 61% Tumbarumba, 26% Coal River Valley Tasmania): Pale to medium lemon colour. Sweet oak dominant nose at this point with tropical and stone fruits. The palate is mouth filling but finely balanced with citrus and tropical fruits, good supporting acid and plush oak. Long finish.
Oakridge 864 ‘Funder and Diamond’ Chardonnay 2023 (Yarra Valley): Pale lemon colour. Savoury and vanillan oak opens the nose, with citrus aromas, especially lemon and grapefruit. There’s more grapefruit on the palate with some stone fruits in the background. Cleansing acid and supporting cedary oak lead to quite a long finish.
Flametree SRS Chardonay 2023 (Margaret River): Lemon colour. A powerful nose with an even blend of vanillan oak, citrus and stone fruits. This balance applies equally to the palate, with polished oak, fig, grapefruit and lemon. A long finish and very well balanced.
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2023 (Yarra Valley): Pale to medium lemon. Slightly shy nose, with savoury and citrus notes (Lemon, grapefruit). There’s lemon pith dominating the palate, with good supporting acid and medium to long finish. This seemed a little one dimensional to me, in the surrounding company.
Stella Bella Suckfizzle Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale lemon colour. Initially shy nose, which opened to show lemon, lime and cedar. There’s considerable lime cordial on the palate with more cedary oak and accompanying grip. Noticeable acid and a medium to long finish.
Evans and Tate ‘Redbrook Reserve’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale lemon colour. Peach and citrus (including lime) on the nose. There’s more citrus and tropical fruits on the palate (lemon, lime, pineapple) with softer acid (not firm) and plush oak. Long finish and I don’t think my hastily scribbled notes are doing this justice.
Deep Woods Reserve Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River). Pale lemon colour. Struck match on the nose, with peach, nectarine, fig, a little citrus and tropical fruits. The palate shows cedary oak with more stone fruits. There’s just enough supporting acid without being too noticeable, and there’s a little textural grip. Long finish and well balanced.
Pierro Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Medium yellow colour. The nose was almost perfumed, with peach juice, florals, cedary oak and a little lemon/lime. The palate is similarly lifted with the oak more evident and the citrus dominating stone fruits. Plenty of acid and medium to long finish.
Vasse Felix ‘Heytesbury’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon in colour. A lovely blend of sweet vanillan oak and stone fruits on the nose. The palate is similarly layered, with peaches, citrus, cedary oak, good supporting acid, and a slightly grippy mouthfeel. Excellent length and totally in balance.
Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2023 (Margaret River): Pale to medium lemon in colour. A complex nose with lemon, nectarine, grapefruit, caramel (surprisingly) and excellent oak in the background. The palate is similarly layered with stone fruits emerging, more caramel and citrus. Acid is supportive and unobtrusive, while the oak is also present but not dominating, and all add to the complexity of the wine. Very long finish.
Giaconda Chardonnay 2017 (Beechworth): Full yellow in colour. Struck match, cedary oak, ripe peaches and figs on the nose. The palate is full and round, with some sulphides, and a blend of citrus and stone fruit characters. Acid is soft and supportive and there’s some grip and oak influence. Medium to long finish. This was definitely the outlier of the tasting, given its age and origin.
Some interesting points of discussion emerged (at my table at least) over the course of the tasting:
• Citrus and stone fruit characters in chardonnay. Given the Margaret River focus of this tasting, there are differences between wines made in the northern and central parts of Margaret River and those further south (including Karridale). The wines tend to show more stone fruits in the northern areas, with citrus becoming more evident from the more southerly locations. This is, of course, a generalisation, but it was interesting to note the range of preferences for citrus vs stone fruits across the table. I’ve noticed (from previous tastings with the same people) that the ‘citrus / stone fruit’ debate can apply to cooler / warmer vintages respectively as well. The fruit characters are also just one part of a wine’s interest.
• The Yarra Valley wines in this line-up did not show the same power as the Margaret River wines but certainly were not short of balance and interest.
• This was a blind tasting, but with a list of the wines provided in alphabetical order (bearing no resemblance to the tasting order). It was good to see how surprised some people were when each wine was unmasked (and of course they had attempted to identify the wine, mostly incorrectly). In some cases, these were pleasant surprises, given the range of price points for the wines- I’m sure a few people picked up some bargains as a result.
My profound thanks to JJ and the team at Lamonts for yet another memorable tasting.
Cheers
Allan