2024 Savaterre Chardonnay

97 pts
One of Australia's finest Chardonnays and in winemaker Keppel Smith's words, "a serious, cerebral wine of great focus and precision."

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Sale price$120.00
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Description

Keppell Smith first laid eyes on what would become the Savaterre vineyard back in 1996, a granite-rich slope on Beechworth’s legendary “Golden Mile”. Since then, his Chardonnays have carved out a place among the most profound in the country - complex, long-lived, and absolutely world-class.

The 2024 vintage was exceptional for the estate. A small crop and close-planted, mature vines allowed the fruit to ripen slowly through long warm days and cool nights. Keppell describes this as a year for "finesse and precision," and while the wine has the signature Savaterre intensity, it’s remarkably tightly coiled and focused.

Aromatically, it’s all white nectarine, lime blossom, and beeswax, backed by more complex notes of sandalwood, hazelnut, and pink grapefruit. The palate is driven by a powerful line of acidity and a length that persists for minutes. Decant if drinking young - this wine will continue to build and evolve over two decades.

One of Australia’s great Chardonnays, from one of the most detail-obsessed producers in the game. Extremely limited.

97 points
"Here is the art of winemaker laid bare, in all of its beauty as well as mystery. It's a slow reveal, all the better to take in a wine both plush in fruit and fine in structure, citrusy fresh and oak defined, savoury influenced and varietally pure... A suitable ending with saline cut and grip on the long finish."
- Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points
"This is a richer iteration of Savaterre Chardonnay with not much in the way of struck match... spicy oak, a mix of nectarine, pear, lime and melon with a tangy and savoury finish of outstanding length."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

97 points - "Here is the art of winemaker laid bare, in all of its beauty as well as mystery. It's a slow reveal, all the better to take in a wine both plush in fruit and fine in structure, citrusy fresh and oak defined, savoury influenced and varietally pure. Complex, tangy fresh aromas arrive Beechworth-bright before leading into a tightly packed, concentrated palate of lemon citrus, grapefruit, stone fruits and toasted almonds creamily textured with honeysuckle aromatics. A suitable ending with saline cut and grip on the long finish." - Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)

97 points - "Light to mid yellow, bright in the glass, and the bouquet is complex and subtly detailed, not big on reduction this year, but with a controlled flintiness. Minerals and hazelnuts. The palate has a dab of juicy fruit sweetness at the core, and the flavour is profoundly deep and long-lasting. A concentrated, multi-faceted and thoroughly gorgeous chardonnay." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

96 points - "I usually have a little sit down with Keppell Smith to taste his wares, though this time, whenever he was in Sydney I was somewhere else. It’s not intentional. He says this is released on the 20th of April, if he “gets his shit together. ”

This is a richer iteration of Savaterre Chardonnay with not much in the way of struck match (though, granted, that can sometimes vary between bottles in my experience). It’s glossy and creamy but has firm cut of grapefruit acidity, there’s fine powdery grip to texture, a savoury nutty element and something of a sour yoghourt flavour, honey nougat, spicy oak, a mix of nectarine, pear, lime and melon with a tangy and savoury finish of outstanding length." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

2024 was an exceptional vintage for our chardonnay.

Long warm days and cool nights allowed slower ripening.

This perfect ripeness was also aided by the small crop per vine combined with our mature, close planted vineyard.

These are the years for finesse and precision.

The 2024 Savaterre Chardonnay is a seductive, tightly coiled wine at this stage that will continue to evolve, mature and reveal its multiple facets over the coming years.

It is a serious, cerebral wine of great focus and precision.

A harmonious amalgam of aromas, flavour, intensity and,length.

A beautiful wine that will continue to evolve, mature and reveal as time progresses.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Beechworth
Australian State VIC
Feature High Score
Reviewed By The Wine Front
Halliday Wine Companion
The Real Review
Critic Score 97
Alcohol 13.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

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