Luke Lambert Chardonnay

"The 2021 Lambert Chardonnay draws you into the glass like a siren call, with generous, pithy stone fruits, steely minerality, swishes of salinity and a touch of struck match. There's a light tread, an elegance and a finesse, all sitting above an undercurrent of skinsy tension, a dashing mouthfeel and perfectly rendered acidity. It's not overtly fruit-forward, it never is, relying more on structure, texture and presence. It oozes depth, with a pulsating, savoury finish."

"The 2021 was sourced from two plots in the Tibooburra vineyard, which is in the southeast corner of the valley, near Gembrook. Tibooburra might be the coolest site in the Yarra and was planted in 2001. The first parcel sits on the windy, east-facing slope of the vineyard, a site where the poor volcanic soils (with seams of yellow clay and eroded granite) offer up low yields and intensely flavoured berries. The second parcel lies on a sunnier slope facing northwest, with double the vine density and a higher proportion of red volcanic soil. This adds more muscle and layers to the spine of the fruit from the east-facing slope. The combination of fruit from both blocks enhances the wine's texture while retaining coolness and elegance.

The winemaking follows Lambert's typical approach: whole-bunch pressing; wild-yeast fermentation; old 4,000 litre foudre; no temperature control; zero fining or filtration; minimal sulphur and occasional lees stirring for six to eight months."