Pooley Butcher's Hill Chardonnay 2024

Unlike many contemporary wine reviewers, I try to avoid being friends with winemakers, though I do enjoy the company of Justin Bubb on the rare occasions I see him. He’s just a very nice man. There’s maybe a handful of others that I see every now and then, though really, our job should be at odds with that. Nepotism is rife in this game, though at TWF, I reckon we keep ourselves pretty neat. We don’t run events for wineries, nor take any coin aside from an (optional) TWF subscription. We don’t take advertising or engage in ‘winery promotions’. Just saying. Likely we are doing ourselves out of a lot of revenue, though I sleep soundly at night as a result. The bulk or our income comes from consumer subscriptions. If we do have friendships, we generally remove ourselves from reviewing them.

Pink grapefruit, lemon oil, aniseed, cashew and cedar, a chamomile perfume and white peach. It’s gently chalky in texture, a little nutty and umami, biscuit spice oak, balanced acidity, with some grilled nuts and a saline finish of excellent length. Lovely wine. Fine and distinctive. Yum. Touch and go for 96 points really. 95 points, drink 2025-2033+, Gary Walsh, the Wine Front.