DECANTER - Wines of the Year 2023: Value category

One of the best to date. RAY JORDAN

FIVE STARS - Chief Winemaker Virginia Willcock has energised the winemaking and viticultural team with her no-nonsense approach and fierce commitment to quality. JAMES HALLIDAY

The chardonnays at Vasse Felix have been on the up for a number of years. RAY JORDAN

On the 2022 vintage - To Glenn Goodall, winemaker at Xanadu, "a cracker." And to Tim Lovett of Leeuwin Estate "an epic vintage!" JAMES HALLIDAY

WA', as this state is invariably known, may grow less than 5% of the country's grapes but it produces a very significant proportion of the country's best wine, entirely in the south-westernmost corner of this vast state. JANCIS ROBINSON MW

 

Man, you have to love finds like these. Around the Chateau my wife and I (in my best British accent) consume more Chardonnay that anything else. There is rarely a day when a bottle isn’t chilling in the fridge, in case the mood strikes, which it often does. So, when one comes across the table that delivers like this, I take notice.

It is no surprise who made, it, or indeed where it comes from. I mean, usually, but not always, the best value things come from the steady hands of winemakers who specialise in the super premium end of things. I dunno, maybe its access to better fruit? Maybe its having the room and equipment free to be able to produce these kinds of wines at these prices? Maybe, like I have said in the past, a lot, Virginia is a god damn gun!

That lady has made some of my favourite Aussie chards in recent years. I don’t know what she is doing out there, or how many wheetbix she is powering down every morning but the result is a Chardonnay making machine.

It’s a short and simple story here. The wine really is hitting hard for a $25 bottle of wine. Plenty of flavour. No lack of interest and class. Lively, uplifting freshness weaving through all the fruit she has packed in to this little gem. It is no surprise this was picked by Decanter as one of their value wines of the year

I drank one bottle and bought a second two days later. It met a similar fate.

Just so much wine for you money. I don’t think I need to harp on about it? I can if you like?

Hmm, no pop culture reference yet.