This Pinnacle Series Chardonnay from Ross Hill Wines jumps out of the blocks with confidence.
A generous opening of caramel drops, brûlée and French pastry aromas offer plenty of early appeal. White fleshed nectarine, barbecued peach and pineapple husk build the fruit profile, with a squeeze of lemon juice and a faint cashew nuttiness adding complexity. Grapefruit and a lemon sherbet tang inject freshness and keep things lively. There's good flavour intensity up front, although the mid-palate loses momentum a little sooner than expected as the acidity takes charge and shifts the spotlight. The bones of a very good Chardonnay are all here, but it just needs a touch more focus and harmony through the middle to bring everything together. Even so, there's much to like and it offers enough promise to suggest even better things are to come.
91/100
Region: Orange
