While Shiraz rightfully takes the spotlight at Craiglee; their Chardonnay is consistently one of the benchmark examples of the Macedon Ranges region. Winemaker Pat Carmody modestly says: 'I don't think there's any secret to my Chardonnay. They're relatively simply made wines. I pick 'em a bit riper than is fashionable. I don't let them go through malo, I don't lees stir much and they spend about 10 months in oak, around 20 per cent new.
Famous for its elegance and purity of flavours, this 2018 Craiglee Chardonnay is a beautiful exercise in balance of the quality French oak and pristine, cool-climate fruit flavours.
"94 Points. Complex, layered and inherently delicious chardonnay. There’s generosity, big flavour and freshness here. Meanwhile, nougat, honey on green apple, jasmine floral notes and peachy fruitiness are the calling cards. It rolls over the palate with authority, cuddly texture and a fresh hit of fruity brightness to close. It feels savoury, with creamy characters fully woven through the fruit character. It’s a fantastic wine and one of the best releases I’ve tried. Tasted: JUN20 13.5% alc. $40 Screwcap Drink: 2020 - 2027" - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front.
"Strong winds off the cool Southern Ocean may well help to keep vines and wines fresh. If Craiglee Shiraz is extra-fine, the Chardonnay is rather idiosyncratic (and so is the Shiraz in an Australian context, so discreet is it). Instead of aping the current Australian Chardonnay super-skinny norm, Craiglee's version is somewhat unreconstructed: exuberant fruit but remarkably high in natural acidity, partly thanks to suppressing the usual softening malolactic conversion. These too are definitely designed to age.'- Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com
