Mount Macleod Chardonnay 2024

Mount Macleod is the second label of the Burgundian-inspired (and boutique-scaled) Caledonia Australis who, in their fairly short lifespan, have carved a reputation amongst Pinot cognoscenti as a fine source of excellent value, aromatically complex and elegant Pinot Noir.

Mount Macleod’s wines are not looking to make the headlines, win trophies, or the like. What we have instead is a set of great value, honest-to-goodness deliciousness from an organic Australian grower with an impressive set of values and practices. Mark Matthews is never going to win any awards for marketing or self-promotion, so it’s just as well he’s rather diligent at his day job. The kind of green credentials practiced at this family-owned Gippsland Estate deserves to be applauded. Winegrower-ecologist Matthews has recently passed his 10th year of organic certification and has instigated a weed management program using a combination of firestick and hard labour.

With a touch more grip than last year, this is another terrific value from one of Victoria’s most green-fingered growers. Expect punchy and vibrant citrus flavours, mouth-watering freshness and an impressively long close.

Mark Matthews’s guiding principle in the shed is to have confidence in the fruit and allow it to sit at the heart of all decision-making. His pared-back winemaking regime encompasses wild ferments and only neutral oak, delivering his subtle message with ultimate integrity. This year, 5% of the fruit fermented on skins to add texture and phenolic tension to the blend, while the balance was pressed as bunches. The wine was divided between concrete vessels with no malolactic conversion and 15+-year-old barriques with partial malolactic conversion. Both batches rested on lees with no stirring for nine months. This is another terrific-value wine from one of Victoria’s most green-fingered growers. Expect punchy and vibrant citrus flavours, mouth-watering freshness and an impressively long close.

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Gippsland, VIC
Vintage - 2024
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.2%