Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2025

Absolutely the best value Chardonnay under $30. Lightly honied with hints of stone fruit, meal and fresh citrus acidity. All the ingredients that a $50 chardonnay hopes to have. A bit more body than the cool 2023 vintage had, and all the better for it. We have been desperately waiting for the 2024 to arrive and it has not disappointed. Snap it up by the dozen, or include with 6 bottles of the Pinot Noir. - Ian Cook, FWC. 

So this is a new site for Wickhams, Bulong Estate in Yarra Junction. Planted 1995. ‘Quality site and vineyard’, says Franco D’Anna. It looks at this early stage, that the Yarra Valley wines from 2025 are going to be very good.

It has a juiciness to flavour and I’m thinking yellow peach, grapefruit, and a lick of spice and cedar oak. It’s clean and fresh, quite direct in terms of style, a fine chalkiness to texture, with a lively finish of good length, a little lemon zest to close. Not trying too hard to be anything other than a great drink, is the import. 92 pts Gary Walsh, The Wine Front