Provenance 2023 Offer

THE G TOWN! Again I like the unabashed display of fruit here. Chardonnay in a ripe but taut style with oodles of character, plenty of get up and go through the substantial flow of flavour that precedes a nice little extract filled finish. Long and beautifully shaped, it's  got its buttons done up, shoes polished and dinner jacket on. Classy thing for grown up drunks… a slight savoury, leesy complexity adds the final detail. Really good wine! ROSCOE

520m elevation; Whole-bunch pressed, settled overnight and racked to barriques the next day. A bright green gold. With its aromas of ripe stone fruits and just a hint of freshly churned butter, this is noticeably richer than the '22. This comes through on the palate, but so too does that fine vein of bright acidity that will, no doubt, ensure the wine's longevity. Of this year's three subregional wines, this will need the longest time to fully hit its straps. (94) PHILLIP RICH, James Halliday's Wine Companion

Flavour town here. A cool vintage but this is loaded up with deliciousness. Stone fruit, caschew, Smoky, lightly funky, a whisper of dairy, this is textbook stuff. The kind of chardonnay that bridges the gap between the richer styles and a more bracing version. I'd go so far as to say it feels expertly crafted. Long, flavoursome and powerful with a bitter citrus oil tinged finish which tapers off so slowly. A belter of a modern Aus Chardonnay. ROSCOE

Whole-bunch pressed; partial mlf and barrel fermented, matured in 30% new oak. A really bright green gold. Pure fruited and precise with its bouquet of perfectly ripened white peach, lemon verbena and a hint of white flowers. The oak has been swallowed up by the fruit. Just as good on the medium-bodied, chalky textured and nicely structured palate. Finishes saline and long. A lovely wine and the pick of the three regional chardonnays, for me, this year. (97) PHILLIP RICH, James Halliday's Wine Companion

If served blind I would think this was a different producer. It's tight. It's got a green apple feel, like biting in to a ripe Granny Smith. Almost a crunch to the fruit. Feels really clean and clear. The winemaking doesn't play such a role here, but no idea if there is any difference in the approach. Pure, fresh, upbeat, it seems a little reserved, introverted even, compared to the others. Qualitatively I think they are all on par, but if you asked me which my favourite was, I'd say one of the others, now. I bet my bottom dollar if we laid them all out in 5-8 years and asked again, this would be the one. It's impeccably well put together. Not a stitch out of place, all composed and neatly packaged.
This is my kind of wine. This is better than excellent. There's a serenity to this which I can't help but admire. Well done! ROSCOE