Why Chardonnay Has Reclaimed Its Throne
Chardonnay is having a renaissance, and never has it been more thrilling to drink. From bold, buttery styles of the past to the crisp, mineral-driven expressions of today, the pendulum has swung from the tropical, oak-laden "sunshine in a bottle" wines of the 1980s and 90s, through the "anything but chardonnay" backlash, to today's renewed desire for wines that balance flavour, texture and place.
Meet Our New 2024 Black Spur Chardonnay
Luminous medium straw in the glass; the nose offers lemon curd, stone fruit, almond, honeysuckle and a gentle whisper of buttery popcorn. On the palate it's lively and tactile, with citrus and mineral energy balanced by delicate oak and almond undertones, leading into a long, refined finish.
Sourced from four distinct clones at our cool Healesville site, the fruit was whole-bunch pressed, cold-settled and racked into French oak hogsheads and puncheons (15% new oak), with spontaneous fermentation and partial malolactic fermentation in half the wine, before resting 10 months on lees to build texture and depth.
Chardonnay's strength is its diversity — it can lean crisp and saline or full and textural depending on site and style, rewards nuance, and is as versatile at the table as it is standing alone. Winemakers across Australia are rediscovering its potential, from the traditional cool-climate strongholds of the Yarra Valley and Margaret River to emerging regions in Tasmania, Gippsland and Macedon.
Our 2024 Black Spur Chardonnay is our contribution to that conversation. Visit our cellar door in Healesville to taste this new vintage.
