Hillcrest Village Chardonnay 2010

When I think of quality Chardonnay under 25 bucks I immediately turn to Hoddles Creek but this wine has changed my mind. The wine comes from young vines and is treated with great care and thought.  The wine goes through natural fermentation with only a little sulfur added to stop malolactic fermentation.  The wine then sits in barrel for about 12 months before being racked off and moved to tank for bottling. The wine is not filtered or clarified which makes this as pure a wine as you can get. After tasting this over 4 days I came to the conclusion that this is the best value Chardonnay under 25 bucks in Australia.

Hillcrest Village Chardonnay 2010

For the first two days the oak sweetness was a little too high for full enjoyment which suggest that this needs a year or two to settle into its skin.  On day three the flint and lightly toasted nuts took a back seat to the grapefruit, lemon curd and smoke but it was the razor sharp acidity that pulled everything together that got my juices flowing. The acidity is the bones of the wine and allows the fruit muscle to fully express itself. While this wine is so complete now in 2014 you will have to pull me off of the bottle before i'll allow you to get a glass.  If you haven't had a Hillcrest wine before now is the time to get on board!

Alcohol: 12.9%
Price: $25
Rated: 89
Drink: 2014 - 2019