2018 Mount Mary Chardonnay Museum Release

Mount Mary strives to create a Chardonnay that strikes a harmonious balance between richness and elegance, prioritizing extended length. While drawing inspiration from Burgundian techniques, the winery incorporates local considerations to craft a distinctive wine. Notably, their Chardonnay diverges from tradition by avoiding malolactic fermentation, as the local climate naturally bestows the fruit with optimal acidity during harvest. The maturation process involves 30% new French oak barriques and older barrels, with the entire production undergoing barrel fermentation. A deliberate hard pressing imparts texture, and lees stirring in barrels for 11 months enhances complexity and body.

Museum release direct from the winery 2025.

Other Reviews....
Multiple clones, hand-picked, crushed and destemmed, fermented French oak (30% new), matured for 11 months. Pale straw-green; extremely focused and wrapped in a skein of citrussy acidity, the palate of extreme length, its future guaranteed by its screwcap. Just when you think the Mount Mary wines can't get any better (at the point of release), they do.
98 points
James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion

A very intense chardonnay with aromas of yellow grapefruit, flint, white peach, lemon and wet stone, as well as a lightly spicy oak edge. The palate has such supple and lithe texture and really elegant, bright and crisp peaches and lemons abound. Very drinkable now.
95 points
Nick Stock - JamesSuckling.com

There’s no doubt that Chardonnay is my favourite white grape variety, perhaps tussling with aged Hunter Semillon, but well ahead of Riesling, the so-called king of white grapes.
Plenty of struck match, lime, almond, and white flowers (including vanilla, of course). It’s full of flavour, albeit set to a somewhat tangy and grapefruity expression, with plenty of grip and grainy texture, lime rind, spice and some honey water sweetness. Finish is long and intense, with a tonic-like twang, and zesty appeal. Excellent. Needs a couple of years to settle down.
95 points
Gary Walsh - The Wine Front