Wonderfully constructed, showing polished aromas of lime curd, lemon balm, orange blossoms and gun smoke on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with precise acidity and a generous mouthfeel, giving notes of fresh pineapple, white peaches, lime curd and shortbread.

“A mellow and understated chardonnay but with plenty of detail in spice, gentle savouriness and winemaking seasoning, cool acidity, a tightly wound fruit profile, general minerality and high drinkability. Overall, elegant and refined, sleek across the palate and quite compact with a light juiciness in tow. Nougat, lime curd, green apple and ginger in the bouquet, a similar set of descriptors to taste, with a lively trail of spice following on. High in the pleasure stakes, this continues to be an impressive Hills chardonnay.”

“The 2023 M3 Chardonnay leads with pressed flowers, curry leaf and iodine/oyster shell characters through the finish. The acidity is piercing—fearsome even—while the sulfides through the finish are angular and hard. This is traditionally a creamy, nutty, svelte wine, and I assume it will head in this direction given a year or so in bottle. Winemaker Adam Wadewitz is a proven wiz with Chardonnay—think of the Single Vineyard Shaw + Smith or the Tolpuddle wine—and so I have full confidence in this wine to pull together. For now, it is all about pineapple husk, tatami mat, apricot kernel and new paper notebook.”