2023 Nocturne Forrest Vineyard Chardonnay

Highly Rated
Sourced from a prime Wilyabrup site, the 2023 Nocturne SV Chardonnay is a finely tuned, deeply expressive Margaret River white - flinty, bright, and effortlessly complex.
5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
1 Review

Price:
Sale price$66.00
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In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Julian Langworthy has never been one to shy away from bold claims, and in this case, he might just be right - the 2023 Nocturne SV Chardonnay is his best yet.

Sourced from a standout ridge section within Forrest Vineyard in Wilyabrup, this is Margaret River Chardonnay at its finest. The vineyard’s proximity to the coast and deep silver-grey sands bring a natural vibrancy to the fruit, while the Gin Gin clone adds that signature acid drive. The 2023 season was near perfect - long, dry, and mild, with fruit in pristine condition. Fermented wild in a mix of new and seasoned puncheons, left on lees unsulphured for months, this is a wine with tension, depth, and precision.

It’s classy, complex, and full of energy, balancing flinty reduction with citrus and just-ripe stone fruit. A Chardonnay that doesn’t shout, but absolutely captivates. If you love Nocturne’s style, this is a must.

97 points
"The 2023 season that birthed it was magnificent—the best this century for whites; the premium reds are yet to be released... This is a pleasure to smell and even better to taste. Ductile, resolved phenolics provide shape on the palate, while the toasty oak sits neatly folded into the fruit. What a wine. Yes. The best release under this label yet."
- Erin Larkin (Robert Parker Wine Advocate)

95 points
"This classy and refined single-vineyard Chardonnay is very expressive and mineral, with notes of preserved lemons, lime curd, and flint. The medium-bodied palate has high-tension acidity, giving powerful notes of grapefruit rind, candied lime zest, and chalk."
- James Suckling

97 points – "The 2023 Single Vineyard Chardonnay is from the Forrest Vineyard in central Wilyabrup, to the north of Margaret River town. The 2023 season that birthed it was magnificent—the best this century for whites; the premium reds are yet to be released. Mild temperatures and a long, dry growing season meant there was little to no pressure in the vineyard. The fruit was in brilliant condition, and the wines show this.

The 2023 Single Vineyard Chardonnay leads with elegantly managed reduction, showing curry leaf and brine, white flowers, flint and salted nuts, beeswax, sea spray, and fresh-pressed linen. This is a pleasure to smell and even better to taste. Ductile, resolved phenolics provide shape on the palate, while the toasty oak sits neatly folded into the fruit. What a wine. Yes. The best release under this label yet." – Erin Larkin (Robert Parker Wine Advocate)

95 points – "This classy and refined single-vineyard Chardonnay is very expressive and mineral, with notes of preserved lemons, lime curd, and flint. The medium-bodied palate has high-tension acidity, giving powerful notes of grapefruit rind, candied lime zest, and chalk." – JamesSuckling.com

Customer Reviews

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Based on 1 review
Total 5 star reviews: 1 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
1 review
  • JC Profile picture for Josh C.google logo
    Josh C.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    3 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    Reviewing
    2022 Nocturne Single Vineyard Chardonnay
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Brilliant Smoke Driven Chardy

    This Chardonnay is such good value, the quaility is outstanding. It has this slight smokiness to it which went perfectly with Moreton Bay Bugs on the Hibachi.

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Overview
The 2023 Nocturne SV Chardonnay is something special—undoubtedly the best Nocturne SV Chardonnay to date. It delivers massive complexity and intensity while maintaining perfect harmony, making it an assault on the senses in the most elegant way possible.

Vineyard & Terroir
Sourced from a single site, the Forrest Vineyard in the Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River, this wine comes from a tiny ridge section in the middle of the vineyard, selectively picked for this release.

Clone: WA Gin Gin
Soil: Deep silver-grey sands
Proximity to the coast: 3 km
Yield: Naturally low, leading to early picking dates
Harvest & Winemaking
Handpicked: 20th February 2023 (two days earlier than 2022)
Pressing: Whole bunch-pressed directly to new, one- and two-year-old puncheons, with no settling or fining
Fermentation: Spontaneous, beginning on day five after pressing
Aging: Four-week ferment, then aged on gross lees without sulphur until October
Bottling: Racked in December, settled, filtered, and bottled
Tasting Notes
This wine is marked by its unbelievable natural acidity and structural drive, needing time to truly unfurl and express itself fully. It carries the signature character of Nocturne’s SV Chardonnays:

Aromas & Flavors: Flint, funk, just-ripe stone fruit, citrus, and grilled lime
Texture: Bright acidity with al dente tannin structure
Final Thoughts
A wine of bright energy and potential, promising continued evolution. Change is growth, and this Chardonnay exemplifies that beautifully.

– Julian Langworthy

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Margaret River
Australian State WA
Reviewed By The Wine Advocate
James Suckling
Critic Score 97
95
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Nocturne Wines

Nocturne is the personal side label of highly decorated Margaret River winemaker Julian Langworthy.

Julian has won just about everything there is to win in Australian wine, having taken out Winemaker of the Year for the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion, the 2016 Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at Royal Melbourne in the space of just a couple of years.

The Nocturne wines are all small production with Jules focusing on quality rather than quantity in this range.

The fruit is procured through Julian's connections with local growers developed over his lifetime in the Margaret River region. If you're looking for hidden gems of Margaret River, the Nocturne wines are it.

Winemaker Julian Langworthy Nocturne

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