A Rodda Whitlands Chardonnay 2024

Hot off the heals of the A. Rodda 'Willow Lake' Chardonnay 2023 winning 'Wine of the Year' in the annual Five Way Cellars newspaper in 2024, this wine lands at the shop. It's our pick of Adrian's wines in vintage 2024 and it's an absolute marvel. There's a lot to dissect here with an explosive nose bringing a smirk to our faces before any of us had even tasted it. There's toasted nougat, grilled lime, a big hit of stone fruit and billowing (integrated) black smoke reduction. The palate is just as impactful, flaunting richness in the middle before a long a taut finish with succulent acidity balancing bronzed peach and ripe apricot flavours. Classy new wood plays a supporting role and adds to the hedonistic nature of the wine. It's a Chardonnay with a real X factor. - Ches Cook, Five Way Cellars.