James Halliday 98

Another wine worthy of the 10-year anniversary Tolpuddle celebrated this year. Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in French oak with nine months' maturation in barrel. Pale straw in the glass with wonderfully ripe and focused white peach, nectarine and citrus notes dotted with notes of clotted cream, soft spice, struck match, crushed stone, almond paste, white flowers and cashew-like oak. It seems more precise this year, yeah? Coiled and mesmerisingly complex, those alluring sulphide notes a siren for this particular sailor, drawing me back to the glass. The finish is long and true, framed by a porcelain acidity that provides a killer cadence, driving the wine forward. This release is a ripper and cements Tolpuddle's place in the upper echelon of Australian chardonnay producers. Drink by 2029.