Ravensworth

2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay | 95 Points The Wine Front | Canberra District

Name: 2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay | 95 Points The Wine Front | Canberra District
Brand: Ravensworth
Price: 45.00 AUD
Availability: InStock

$45.00 AUD

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🏆 95 Points | Just 100 Dozen Made – An Extraordinary Chardonnay from the Former Clonakilla Winemaker!

95 Points – Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

A Fascinating Chardonnay Made Using French Oak and Glass Wine Globes – From One of Australia's Most Inventive Winemakers!

2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay

Murrumbateman, Canberra District, ACT

RRP $45

What happens when a former Clonakilla winemaker takes Chardonnay from his own organically farmed vineyard, ferments it in beautiful French oak and experimental glass wine globes, and produces just 100 dozen bottles?

You get one hell of a Chardonnay!

And that's exactly what we have here with the 2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay.

This is seriously exciting.

A Chardonnay with extraordinary personality.

Beautiful stone fruit.

Fresh green apple.

Toasted oatmeal.

Sourdough.

Fine oak spice.

And a fascinating combination of creamy texture and vibrant acidity.

And look at the score!

95 POINTS – MIKE BENNIE, THE WINE FRONT!

But here's what makes this wine particularly interesting.

The man behind it is Bryan Martin.

A former Clonakilla winemaker.

A trained chef.

A former food writer and restaurant critic.

An obsessive experimenter.

And one of the most fascinating characters in Australian wine.

And the Chardonnay?

Only 100 dozen produced!

At an RRP of $45, this is one of those discoveries that makes exploring Australian Chardonnay so rewarding.

Bryan Martin – The Winemaker Who Helped Shape Clonakilla

If you're serious about Australian wine, you'll know Clonakilla.

And particularly the legendary Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier.

One of Australia's most celebrated wines.

But what you might not know is that Bryan Martin spent many years working alongside Tim Kirk at Clonakilla.

During that period, Bryan developed an extraordinary understanding of cool-climate viticulture and winemaking.

But his interests extended far beyond conventional winemaking.

Bryan had previously worked as a chef, restaurant critic and food writer.

And that background helps explain his approach to wine.

He's fascinated by flavour.

Texture.

Fermentation.

Food.

And the relationship between wine and the natural world.

In 2001, Bryan established Ravensworth with his partner Jocelyn and his brother David.

What began as a family vineyard project has become one of the Canberra District's most distinctive wine producers.

And Bryan's approach has always been refreshingly independent.

He doesn't simply follow trends.

He experiments.

He questions conventional wisdom.

And he makes wines that have genuine personality.

Ravensworth – A Vineyard Unlike Almost Any Other

The Ravensworth estate is located at Murrumbateman, north of Canberra.

And here's something particularly interesting.

The vineyard is certified organic.

Bryan farms approximately 3.3 hectares of vines using a philosophy that encourages biodiversity and healthy soils.

Rather than treating the vineyard as a sterile monoculture, he encourages a complex ecosystem.

Cover crops.

Beneficial insects.

Organic matter.

And careful soil management.

The soils include decomposed granite and red loamy clay.

And the vineyard is home to a remarkable collection of grape varieties.

Shiraz.

Riesling.

Sangiovese.

Chardonnay.

Nebbiolo.

Gamay.

Marsanne.

Roussanne.

And several others.

It's a fascinating place.

But here's what I find particularly exciting.

The 2025 Chardonnay comes from Ravensworth's own estate vineyard.

And the grapes were harvested only a short distance from the winery.

That's about as direct a connection between vineyard and winemaking as you can get.

The Wine Globe – Here's Something Most People Wouldn't Know!

This is where the 2025 Chardonnay becomes particularly fascinating.

Bryan Martin has spent several years experimenting with different fermentation and maturation vessels.

French oak.

Concrete.

Ceramic.

Amphorae.

And glass wine globes.

But why glass?

Because glass offers a fascinating alternative to oak.

It doesn't contribute the toast, vanilla or spice characters associated with wooden barrels.

And Bryan believes it can help preserve an extraordinary clarity of fruit character.

He's been experimenting with wine globes for approximately four years.

And for the 2025 Estate Chardonnay, he used them for around 25% of the blend.

The remaining wine was made in carefully selected French oak.

And not just any oak.

Seguin Moreau Icône.

Dominique Laurent Selection.

Two distinguished names associated with premium French oak barrels.

The idea is to bring together two very different expressions of Chardonnay.

The glass components emphasise fruit purity and aromatic intensity.

The oak components contribute structure, texture and savoury complexity.

And the combination?

Absolutely fascinating!

The 2025 Vintage – A Beautiful Year in Canberra

The 2025 growing season was particularly favourable at Ravensworth.

Early rainfall helped establish healthy vine growth.

This was followed by warm, relatively dry conditions.

And the season developed quickly.

The Chardonnay was harvested on 5 March 2025.

The fruit was destemmed and pressed before being transferred into a combination of French oak and glass wine globes.

Fermentation occurred naturally using indigenous yeasts.

And the wine was allowed to develop slowly on its lees.

The result is a Chardonnay with wonderful flavour concentration and complexity.

But also the freshness and energy that make great Canberra District wines so compelling.

Winemaking – Natural Fermentation, French Oak and Extraordinary Texture

The winemaking details are fascinating.

Estate-grown Chardonnay.

Organically farmed fruit.

Harvested 5 March 2025.

Destemmed and pressed.

Naturally fermented.

Fermentation temperatures approximately 18–22°C.

A combination of French oak and glass wine globes.

Approximately 25% glass-matured component.

Extended maturation on lees.

No lees stirring.

No fining.

No filtration.

This is a very deliberate approach.

The natural fermentations contribute complexity.

The oak adds structure.

The glass preserves fruit clarity.

And the lees maturation helps develop the wine's wonderfully savoury texture.

But perhaps the most interesting detail is what Bryan doesn't do.

He doesn't rely on excessive manipulation.

He allows the fruit, fermentation and maturation vessels to create the wine's character.

And that gives the finished Chardonnay a wonderful sense of individuality.

Tasting Notes – Green Apple, Oatmeal, Sourdough and Sea Spray

The 2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay is not a conventional Chardonnay.

And that's exactly why I love it.

The aromas reveal a fascinating combination of:

Fresh green apple
White nectarine
Oatmeal
Toasted cornflakes
Sourdough
Vanilla wafer
Sea spray
Subtle creamy lees character
Fine French oak spice

And the palate?

Absolutely fascinating.

There's beautiful orchard fruit.

Fresh green apple.

Just-ripe nectarine.

A lovely citrus freshness.

But there's also this wonderful savoury complexity.

Oatmeal.

Sourdough.

Toasted cereal.

A little vanilla wafer.

And a distinctive saline character.

The texture is beautifully soft and generous.

Yet the wine finishes with a refreshing bite of acidity.

It's a Chardonnay that combines richness with energy.

Savoury complexity with fruit purity.

And texture with wonderful freshness.

Green apple. White nectarine. Oatmeal. Sourdough. Vanilla wafer. Sea spray. Fine acidity.

This is seriously interesting Chardonnay.

Only 100 Dozen Produced!

Here's another reason this wine deserves attention.

Only 100 dozen were made.

That's just 1,200 bottles.

From a certified-organic estate vineyard.

Made by one of Australia's most inventive winemakers.

And awarded 95 points by The Wine Front.

This isn't mass-produced Chardonnay.

It's a genuinely small-production wine made with extraordinary attention to detail.

And that's exactly the sort of wine we love discovering at Liquid Vibe.

A Winery Built from Straw Bales!

Here's another extraordinary Ravensworth story.

Bryan and his family completed their own winery and cellar in 2020.

And the cellar was constructed using straw bales.

That's right.

Straw bales.

The building reflects Bryan's interest in sustainable materials and thoughtful winery design.

Inside, you'll find an extraordinary collection of winemaking vessels.

Large-format oak barrels.

Italian amphorae.

Ceramic eggs.

Concrete vessels.

And glass wine globes.

It's more like a winemaking laboratory than a conventional winery.

And that experimentation is central to the personality of Ravensworth wines.

Why Canberra Chardonnay Deserves More Attention

When people talk about Australia's greatest Chardonnay regions, the usual names come up.

Margaret River.

The Yarra Valley.

Beechworth.

Tasmania.

The Adelaide Hills.

And rightly so.

But the Canberra District is capable of producing some seriously exciting Chardonnay.

The region's elevated vineyards and cool nights can help preserve natural acidity.

And the best wines combine beautiful fruit concentration with wonderful freshness.

But what makes Ravensworth particularly interesting is Bryan Martin's willingness to explore texture and savoury complexity.

He's not simply trying to make a Chardonnay that tastes like everyone else's.

He's trying to make a wine that expresses his vineyard and his own winemaking philosophy.

And the result is something genuinely distinctive.

Cellaring Potential

The 2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay is already beautifully expressive.

But it also has the structure to develop further.

The winery suggests a cellaring potential of 10 years or more.

Mike Bennie's recommended drinking window is 2026–2030.

I'd happily open a bottle now.

But I'd also put a few away.

With time, the youthful apple and nectarine characters should develop deeper savoury, nutty and biscuity complexity.

And the wine's fine acidity should help preserve freshness.

Food Pairings – A Chardonnay Made for the Table

Given Bryan Martin's background as a chef and food writer, it's no surprise that his wines are wonderfully suited to food.

And this Chardonnay is particularly versatile.

I'd recommend:

Roast chicken with a creamy velouté sauce
King George whiting
Grilled scallops
Mushroom risotto
Roast pork
Grilled snapper
Chicken and leek pie
Comté or Gruyère

Personally, I'd follow Bryan's own suggestion.

A beautifully roasted chicken with a creamy sauce.

The wine's savoury oatmeal and sourdough characters would complement the roast flavours.

Its texture would work beautifully with the sauce.

And its fresh acidity would keep everything balanced.

Absolutely sensational.

Why We Love It at Liquid Vibe

Because this is exactly what makes discovering great Australian Chardonnay so exciting.

An extraordinarily talented winemaker.

A fascinating vineyard.

Certified-organic farming.

A remarkable collection of fermentation vessels.

Natural fermentation.

Beautifully judged French oak.

Experimental glass wine globes.

No fining or filtration.

And just 100 dozen produced.

Look at what you're getting.

2025 Ravensworth Estate Chardonnay

Murrumbateman, Canberra District, ACT

Winemaker – Bryan Martin

Former Clonakilla Winemaker

Certified-Organic Estate Vineyard

Approximately 25% Wine Globe Component

Seguin Moreau and Dominique Laurent French Oak

Natural Fermentation

Extended Lees Maturation

Unfined and Unfiltered

Only 100 Dozen Produced

95 Points – Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

RRP $45

This is serious Chardonnay.

But it's also wonderfully individual.

A wine with extraordinary texture, savoury complexity and vibrant freshness.

And at this price, it's one of the most interesting Chardonnay discoveries we've seen.