Cracking good Chardonnay from Sholto at Basket Range.

On the nose - lemons galore. On the palate, it's fresh and energetic, with a fine line of citrussy acidity, hints of florals and white peach. Oak is present but well-integrated and offers nice toasty complexity on the finish. Stock up - this is a drinker!

From Sholto Broderick at Basket Range Wines:

Vineyards:

This wine comes from two vineyards within a close proximity of our vineyard and winery. The Deanery vineyard is situated in Balhannah, 7km east of us. We pick this vineyard first, being in a slightly warmer site. The clones of this chardonnay are i10v1 and Mendoza (a small-berried clone giving greater skin to juice ratio, that for example, is the clone in Kumeu's Mate's Vineyard). Ali’s vineyard is situated in the heart of the Piccadilly Valley, 8km to the south-west of our vineyard. This vineyard has some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in the Adelaide Hills. Ali's vineyard produces fruit with great intensity and acid drive and is a combination of g9v7 and i10v1 clones.

Winemaking:

Each parcel of chardonnay was direct-pressed then cold settled before racking to French barrique and puncheon barrels (10% new) for fermentation and maturation for 9 months. Some battonage was used during maturation.

There is a tight freshness here, with white stone fruits and a healthy dose of lemon on both the nose and palate. Gorgeous length too, helped by a touch of gentle oak and lees complexity. It all adds up to a beautiful, understated wine, but with plenty going on under the hood. Serve at 12c.