🔥 96 POINTS | MEDHURST ESTATE | THIS IS SERIOUSLY GOOD YARRA VALLEY CHARDONNAY

One of the Best-Value Serious Chardonnays in the Yarra Valley

Power without heaviness. Texture without excess. Oak without dominating the fruit.

96 Points – Halliday Wine Companion

Yarra Valley, Victoria

RRP $55 a bottle

This is where Medhurst seriously over-delivers.

The 2024 Medhurst Estate Chardonnay received an outstanding 96 points from Halliday Wine Companion, putting it firmly into premium Australian Chardonnay territory.

But the RRP is only $55.

That's the remarkable part.

This is estate-grown Chardonnay from Medhurst's vineyard at Gruyere, hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and matured for around 10 months in French oak. Medhurst's technical notes describe a wine combining concentrated fruit, bright natural acidity, chalky minerality and subtle oak spice.

If you're looking for a Chardonnay that delivers genuine Yarra Valley pedigree without the $100+ price tag, this should be very high on the list.

96 Points – Halliday Wine Companion

96 Points – Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

That's a huge result at this price.

That combination of 96 points + $55 RRP makes this one of the most compelling Chardonnays in the Medhurst portfolio.

Tasting Notes

The 2024 is beautifully expressive, with layers of:

• White peach
• Yellow grapefruit
• Meyer lemon
• Lemon zest
• Quince blossom
• White flowers
• Lemon balm
• Subtle spice
• Chalk and minerals
• Fine French oak

The aromatics are delicate rather than explosive, with flowers, citrus and spice leading into a palate with considerably more power.

There's concentrated fruit and real weight through the middle, but a fine line of acidity keeps everything fresh and energetic.

Then comes the texture.

Crunchy white peach and grapefruit are wrapped around a beautiful chalky mineral line, with subtle oak spice sitting quietly in the background. The finish is plush, driven and long.

Power without heaviness.
Texture without excess.
Oak without dominating the fruit.

That's serious Chardonnay.

Estate-Grown Chardonnay from Gruyere

Medhurst's Estate range is designed as a pure expression of the estate's site and season.

The vineyard sits at Gruyere on the western side of the Warramate Ranges, with elevations ranging from approximately 130 to 220 metres. Medhurst's vineyard was established in 2000 and planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

For the 2024 Estate Chardonnay, Medhurst selected a combination of Mendoza and I10V1 Chardonnay clones, harvested on February 27 and 28.

It's an important distinction.

This isn't simply Yarra Valley Chardonnay.

It's estate-grown Chardonnay with a very clear vineyard identity.

Serious Chardonnay Winemaking

The winemaking is exactly what you'd expect from premium Yarra Valley Chardonnay.

The fruit was hand-picked, chilled overnight and pressed cold the following morning.

After 24 hours in tank, the juice was transferred to barrel with solids for primary fermentation.

The wine then underwent partial malolactic fermentation before spending around 10 months in French oak, including new and seasoned barrels, prior to blending and bottling.

Halliday's review records the use of puncheons, hogsheads and barriques, with 28% new oak.

That combination gives the wine texture and complexity without burying the fruit underneath oak.

The Fascinating 2024 Vintage

The 2024 season at Medhurst was anything but straightforward.

After a relatively dry November, the Yarra Valley experienced an exceptionally wet December and January, with Medhurst recording 282mm of rainfall across those two months.

Then everything changed.

February and March were extraordinarily dry, with just 10mm of rain, while a warm late summer helped push the fruit rapidly towards ripeness. Harvest came early and was completed across the estate in only around two and a half weeks.

For Chardonnay, the resulting combination of flavour concentration and acidity has produced a wine with power, weight, freshness and drive.

Where Does It Sit in the Medhurst Range?

This is important because Medhurst produces multiple levels of Chardonnay.

Medhurst Yarra Valley Chardonnay
Fresh • Citrus-driven • Vibrant • Accessible

Medhurst Estate Chardonnay
Concentrated • Mineral • Textural • Complex • 96 Points

Medhurst Reserve Chardonnay
Small-batch • Powerful • Layered • Cellar-worthy • Flagship

The Estate Chardonnay sits right in the sweet spot.

You're getting serious vineyard expression and premium winemaking without moving into Reserve pricing.

And that's why I think the Estate Chardonnay may be one of the smartest buys in the entire Medhurst range.

Food Pairings

This is an outstanding food Chardonnay.

Try it with:

• King George whiting
• Lobster
• Seared scallops
• Kingfish
• Grilled snapper
• Roast chicken
• Crab linguine
• Mushroom risotto
• Pork belly
• Comté or Gruyère

Medhurst specifically recommends King George whiting with tartare and pommes dauphine.

Don't serve this too cold.

Around 12–14°C in a good Chardonnay or Burgundy glass will allow the texture, fruit and oak complexity to open properly.

Cellaring

This is delicious now, but don't underestimate its ability to age.

The combination of concentrated fruit, acidity, fine oak and that chalky structural line gives it plenty of potential.

Medhurst suggests drinking now or cellaring until 2030, while Halliday's assessment also highlights the grip and structure that should help its future development.

Drink now–2032.

I'd buy enough to do both.

Drink some young for the vibrant citrus, white peach and mineral energy, then watch the remainder develop more hazelnut, toast and savoury complexity.

Why We Love It

This is the sort of wine that makes you question why you need to spend $100+ to drink serious Australian Chardonnay.

Look at what you're getting:

96 Points – Halliday Wine Companion
Estate-grown Yarra Valley fruit
Hand-picked
Whole-bunch pressed
French oak maturation
Partial malolactic fermentation
RRP $55

And most importantly, it has the character of genuinely premium Chardonnay.

White peach. Meyer lemon. Grapefruit. Florals. Chalk. Oak spice. Concentration. Acidity. Length.

There's enough richness for lovers of powerful Chardonnay, but enough acidity and mineral tension for people who prefer a more restrained style.

At $55 RRP, I think the 2024 Medhurst Estate Chardonnay is one of the sweet spots of the Yarra Valley.

If you're drinking Yarra Yering, By Farr, Giant Steps, Oakridge or other serious Yarra Valley Chardonnay, put Medhurst on the list.

96 Halliday points at $55. This is exactly the kind of Chardonnay that seriously over-delivers.