Southern Light Vineyards Lightfall Chardonnay 2024

A mix of fine cedar, pear and crushed apple leads to pretty white florals, grapefruit, white peach, lemon pith and cashew nuts. Some citrusy tang and a distinct riverstone minerality build with air, as do the savoury nutty tones. Ample texture to the palate, which is soft and round with a more fruit-forward feel. Lemon, pear, cashew, peach. The acidity is tempered by the volume of fruit, though present enough to tighten the finish slightly to good length. Both breadth and freshness here, with enticing flavours throughout. Points: 92/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 1st Jul 2026

From a 41-year-old, west-facing vineyard in Healesville. A bright green gold. A bouquet of yellow peach, acacia honey and cashew. A little richer than the Seven Slopes of Rising Nillumbik Chardonnay. The palate is mouth-filling, with good weight, yet finely tuned and long. Delicious now and over the next three to five years. Points: 96/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 15th May 2026

This is a more textured and richer style of Chardonnay which comes from this vineyard near Healesville. It’s a single block of P58 clone and was picked across two separate picks which weren’t brought together until the final blending. It was whole bunch pressed, French oak and once again, those hogsheads and puncheons with about twenty-five percent new. This wine didn’t have any malolactic fermentation, and yet it still retains texture and mouthfeel. Has a nutty creaminess to it with a fine edge of talcy acid, a little limestone edge to balance the mid-palate. Very attractive wine, especially in the shorter term. Points: 94/100

Wine PIlot ∙ 11th Apr 2026

Peach, grapefruit, pastry dough, Thai basil, toasted cashew and spice. It’s bright and grapefruity, a preserved lemon spice and quinine tang, quite grainy in texture, with a nutty sake richness, somewhat saline, with a slightly warm finish of excellent length. It’s interesting; the dichotomy of broad and tight is curious. I know that likely doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s how I find it. I like it anyway. Good wine. Points: 92/100

The Wine Front ∙ 2nd Apr 2026

The Lightfall Vineyard which provided the fruit for this Chardonnay is located at Healesville in the Yarra Valley. The vines were planted in 1984, all clone P58. The vineyard was harvested across two picks, a week apart. After whole bunch pressing to French oak barrels, a mix of 300- and 500-litres, one-quarter of them new, the juice underwent a wild yeast ferment and then spent a year maturing on lees. There was no malolactic fermentation. Straw/yellow in colour, this is taut, tight and poised. The nose reveals notes of lemon curd, a flick of spicy oak, florals, stonefruits, lemongrass and spices. There is good intensity here which continues for the full length. A flick of spicy oak is evident along with juicy acidity. A well balanced wine which will offer immense pleasure over the next six to eight years. Points: 94/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 21st Mar 2026