Lucid ripe citrus and white peach are inured with ornate spices and lime zest. The fleshiness of the wine is counter balanced with mineral tones and gunflint. The brittle crunch in the structure hems in the lush texture, with an elongated thread of acidity resonating in the finish.

Chardonnay is compelling when it has energy, giving you an impressionists' experience of natural light. It is an elusive quality that great wines share despite the versatility of the variety. It is more of a winemakers' wine where observation pays off, and though it is easy to make, in contrast it is surprisingly easy to muddy the message from the vineyard.

The Family Vineyards Chardonnay is comprised of three vineyard sites from the farm, widely varied in their exposure to the sun. The vibrancy, clear cut structure and long flavour we perceive from these granitic slopes is our safeguarded jewel. This well-drained, gravelly soil of mostly quartz, pink feldspar and mica on the lower part of the slope reaches down to deposits of clay. Clay adsorbs water and high concentrations of trace elements for the increasingly complex activity of soil microorganisms, which all contributes to the building blocks of the wine's crystalline flavour profile. The south facing Chardonnay vineyards produce edgy and agile wines with nervy acidity, while the north facing slopes are more lustrous wines, delivering weight without being heavy, layering the structure. A natural approach in the winemaking will ensure a complex array of characters in this wine.

"The 2022 Family Vineyards Chardonnay displays pronounced oak notes compared to the Southend Chardonnay, offering a wider and more voluminous nose with oak influences alongside citrus, pomaceous and underripe stone fruits. Medium-bodied, the palate comes alive with an electric acidity that zings across, inducing a mouthwatering effect before revealing a robust and rich mouthfeel that expands into a broader expression, showcasing surprising breadth and depth. This wine is tightly wound, suggesting it will age gracefully for over a decade. The matured for 11 months in oak, 22% new oak. A total of 14,040 bottles were produced. It's a wine worth adding to your cellar. I am certainly going to finish the glass! Drink to 2035."
93 points.
Anthony Mueller, The Wine Advocate (May 2024)

"Spontaneous fermentation. Whole-bunch pressed. No sulphites added until bottling. 11 months in French oak, 45% new. Vines are on granite clay, so the wine tends to be more restrained than the Southend Chardonnay which comes from vines on sandstone.
More peppery on the nose than the Southend Chardonnay; more triangular and aciculate in approach. At the moment, this wine is all in the finish, as if it’s gathering itself in the mid palate for a fanfare flare of flavour. Real peacock-tail wine. Iridescent minerality. Tiny florals embroidered into a background of white linen. Spitting staccato punctuation and then silky sentences. Drink to 2034."
17.5 points.
Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com (October 2024)