2023 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay
2023 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay

2023 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay

97 pts
Stella Bella |Margaret River |Chardonnay
A refined but powerful expression of Chardonnay from a standout vineyard in southern Margaret River – layered, structured, and built to impress.
Price:
$98.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship, only 2 units left
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Description

There’s no shortage of excellent Chardonnay coming out of Margaret River, but Luminosa sits right near the top of the tree.

It’s the top-tier white from the team at Stella Bella, made with fruit from a carefully tended single vineyard in the Boodjidup Valley and handled with real precision in the winery. The 2023 release shows just how well this southern site can deliver power and finesse in equal measure.

It’s made entirely from the Gingin clone, famous for its thick skins and concentrated juice. Fermentation and ageing in French oak (with a good lick of new) gives the wine shape and lift, but it’s the core of citrus-driven fruit and mineral line that carries it. There’s a richness here, but also restraint – a wine with real drive and composure.

This is Chardonnay with serious presence. The kind that builds in the glass and lingers long after the last sip. Drink it now if you’re keen, but if you’ve got a bit of patience, the best is still to come.

97 points
"A powerhouse of a wine, yet is perfectly poised and stylish... struck match flintiness, spice and mouth-watering acidity... a fineness as the finish heads off to the horizon."
- Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points
"Lime pie, lemon and pink grapefruit... quite flinty and textured... a slight parmesan rind savoury thing... superb length. In short, it’s a banger."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

96 points
"Peach, struck flint and hazelnut skin... bacon fat, hazelnut and seaside minerality... the drive and intensity is notable and it carries very long."
- Stuart Knox (The Real Review)

96 points
"Rich in peach, melon, quince paste... juicy, filigree-fine acidity... lingers long with outstanding line and length."
- Jeni Port (Wine Pilot)

95 points
"More subtle and seamless... balance and shape, with a lightning bolt of energy in the mouth... one of the very very best in Margaret River."
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

95 points
"Lemon confit, rosemary, flint and lime curd... grapefruit, quince, apples and sea spray... very nicely constructed."
- JamesSuckling.com

Jane Faulkner

Jane Faulkner

Halliday Wine Companion 97 Points

This is outrageously good. It’s stately, a powerhouse of a wine, yet is perfectly poised and stylish. A good site and clever winemaking (Gingin clone) allow chardonnay’s inherent strengths to shine. That would be the citrus-accented fruit, the struck match flintiness, spice and mouth-watering acidity. The palate builds and while there’s depth and volume, this is well contained with judicious oak and feathery light lees flavour. And yet, given all that, there’s a fineness as the finish heads off to the horizon. What a wine.

Jeni Port

Jeni Port

Wine Pilot 96 Points

A single vineyard Chardonnay of inimitable character, there is only one Luminosa. Each release is a masterclass in delivering a top tier Margaret River Chardonnay that is both sumptuous and bright with a real inner Chardonnay energy force. Complexity is immediately delivered via aromas rich in peach, melon, quince paste, apple, citrus and lively, fresh sea spray. The palate offers an all-embracing taste experience in layers of flavour, juicy, filigree-fine acidity, a lick of smart oak that seems naturally in tune. Enticing hints of zesty lemon skin to close. Lingers long with outstanding line and length.

Erin Larkin

Erin Larkin

The Wine Advocate 95 Points

The 2023 Luminosa Chardonnay is more subtle and seamless than the Suckfizzle tasted beside it. This has a richer fruit profile, more phenolic grip and shape, and while it is likely not too much less in numerical measure of acidity, it feels more intrenched in the fruit. I love this wine. It has balance and shape, with a lightning bolt of energy in the mouth. The 2023 season was one of the very very best in Margaret River in the context of Chardonnay.

Stuart Knox

Stuart Knox

The Real Review 96 Points

Light lemon colour. Peach, struck flint and hazelnut skin aromas. There’s a bright freshness on entry but that doesn’t belie the power here. Intensity of peach fruit sits in the core, as it lingers bacon fat, hazelnut and seaside minerality unfurl. The drive and intensity is notable and it carries very long. Give it more cellar time and even more will be on offer.

97 points - "This is outrageously good. It’s stately, a powerhouse of a wine, yet is perfectly poised and stylish. A good site and clever winemaking (Gingin clone) allow chardonnay’s inherent strengths to shine. That would be the citrus-accented fruit, the struck match flintiness, spice and mouth-watering acidity. The palate builds and while there’s depth and volume, this is well contained with judicious oak and feathery light lees flavour. And yet, given all that, there’s a fineness as the finish heads off to the horizon. What a wine." - Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "Lime pie, lemon and pink grapefruit, light spicy toasty oak, fennel and white flowers. It’s slightly nutty, pure in acidity, quite flinty and textured, white nectarine and citrus, including a little twist of peel, a slight parmesan rind savoury thing, with a chalky finish of superb length. In short, it’s a banger." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

96 points - "Light lemon colour. Peach, struck flint and hazelnut skin aromas. There’s a bright freshness on entry but that doesn’t belie the power here. Intensity of peach fruit sits in the core, as it lingers bacon fat, hazelnut and seaside minerality unfurl. The drive and intensity is notable and it carries very long. Give it more cellar time and even more will be on offer." - Stuart Knox (The Real Review)

96 points - "A single vineyard Chardonnay of inimitable character, there is only one Luminosa. Each release is a masterclass in delivering a top tier Margaret River Chardonnay that is both sumptuous and bright with a real inner Chardonnay energy force. Complexity is immediately delivered via aromas rich in peach, melon, quince paste, apple, citrus and lively, fresh sea spray. The palate offers an all-embracing taste experience in layers of flavour, juicy, filigree-fine acidity, a lick of smart oak that seems naturally in tune. Enticing hints of zesty lemon skin to close. Lingers long with outstanding line and length." - Jeni Port (Wine Pilot)

95 points - "The 2023 Luminosa Chardonnay is more subtle and seamless than the Suckfizzle tasted beside it. This has a richer fruit profile, more phenolic grip and shape, and while it is likely not too much less in numerical measure of acidity, it feels more intrenched in the fruit. I love this wine. It has balance and shape, with a lightning bolt of energy in the mouth. The 2023 season was one of the very very best in Margaret River in the context of Chardonnay." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

95 points - "Sophisticated notes of lemon confit, rosemary, flint and lime curd. The palate is medium-bodied with vivid acidity, giving notes of grapefruit, quince, apples and sea spray. Very nicely constructed while sitting on the edge of reduction. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - JamesSuckling.com

Distinctly Southern Margaret River and uniquely Luminosa. Farmed from a single vineyard located in the Boodjidup Valley, each vine is curated & nurtured with an attention to detail that embraces our pristine natural environment. Gently handled to enhance the explosive yet elegant individuality and flavours that can only be Luminosa.

Tasting Note

Appearance
Pale straw with green hues.

Aroma
Lemon and lime pith explode out of the glass supported by the subtle char of new French oak. In true Luminosa style the wine continues to evolve with pink grapefruit, gun flint and a refreshing mineral sea spray character.

Palate
The wine flows across the palate with the perfect balance of natural mineral acidity, phenolics from the Gingin clone of Chardonnay and the abundance of flavour from this distinguished vineyard site. Followed by the perfect blend of citrus, pink grapefruit, savoury almond meal and an effortless spring water finish to an elegant yet powerful wine.

Blend
100% Gin Gin Chardonnay

Food
Pork belly

Cellar
10+ years

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Margaret River
Australian State WA
Reviewed By Wine Pilot
Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Front
The Real Review
The Wine Advocate
Critic Score 97
96
95
Alcohol 13.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

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