Meet our new 2024 Black Spur Chardonnay

Chardonnay is having a renaissance, and never has it been more thrilling to drink. From bold, buttery styles of the past to the crisp and mineral-driven expressions of today, the narrative of chardonnay is evolving — and Australia is playing a starring role.

One of chardonnay’s greatest strengths is itsdiversity: it can adapt to a wide range of climates, speak eloquently of its soil and vintage, and respond to creative winemaking decisions. Over time, the pendulum of style has swung from tropical, oak-laden “sunshine in a bottle” expressions in the 1980s and ’90s, through a period of backlash (the “anything but chardonnay” movement), to today’s renewed desire for wines that balance flavour, texture and place.

Our2024 Black Spur Chardonnayis a reflection of that new wave — conscious, expressive, and full of personality.

In the glass, it shows a luminous medium straw; 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 fromfour distinct clonesat our cool Healesville site, the fruit waswhole-bunch pressed, cold-settledand racked into French oak hogsheads and puncheons (with 15% new oak). We allowedspontaneous fermentation, then embracedpartial malolactic fermentationin half the wine, before resting it 10 months on lees to build texture and depth.

This approach honours Chardonnay’s capacity to be shaped — not overpowered — by winemaking. The debate around malolactic fermentation is a key tension in modern Chardonnay: done thoughtfully, it adds creaminess, body and complexity without compromising vitality. By picking fruit with brightness and acid, winemakers are now able to re-embrace malo in a way that supports elegance rather than just buttery character.

What makes Chardonnay so compelling right now is how it bridges worlds:

• it can lean crisp and saline, or full and textural, depending on site and style;
• it rewards nuance, encouraging drinkers to trace regional signature, clone differences and aromatic layering;
• and it’s versatile at the table — pairing as well with shellfish, white meats or soft cheeses as it is standing alone as a wine to savour.

In Australia, winemakers across regions are rediscovering the potential of Chardonnay. The varietal is excelling across a widening geography — from traditional cool-climate strongholds of the Yarra Valley and Margaret River to emerging regions in Tasmania, Gippsland, Macedon and beyond. The challenge and joy now lie in styles that respect place and vintage without being formulaic.

Our2024 Black Spur Chardonnayis our contribution to that conversation — an expression of Healesville’s cool climate, of vineyard craftsmanship, and of a varietal that continues to surprise and inspire.

We invite you to visit our cellar door in Healesville, taste this new vintage, and experience for yourself whyChardonnay is the wine to drink now— not just for its heritage, but for what it can become.