Campbell Mattinson

The Wine Front 96 Points

I’m stunned by the concentration of fruit flavour here. If this wine called me on the telephone I’d be holding the receiver away from my ear – actually that’s not quite accurate because the flavour here is delicious, but you get the idea. The bottle cap should say Warning: Gale Force Flavour. These flavours play in the pear, grapefruit, tinned peach and lime arenas, with (subtle) flint and nougat characters as highlights. There’s pineapple-like acidity in action too, the latter emphasising just how drenched in flavour the acidity itself is, for starters, but also keeping the wine fresh and vigorous. The overall impression: A Class.

Philip Rich

Halliday Wine Companion 97 Points

From the now defunct Lance's vineyard in St. Andrews, planted in 1984. Whole-bunch pressed to older puncheons. The combination of a cool year and a warm site works beautifully here. A bright green gold. Aromas of perfectly ripened stone fruits meet a little grilled cashew and gentle saline scents in this gorgeous wine. Gently fleshy but with that trademark Bicknell purity of fruit and backbone. Long. Lovely.

Erin Larkin

The Wine Advocate 95 Points

The 2024 Applecross Chardonnay is sourced from St. Andrews in the Yarra Valley. Made with P58 clone fruit that was planted in 1984, it was naturally fermented and matured in French oak puncheons. Aromatically, the wine leads with white peach and ripe lime flesh, green apple, crushed shells and pressed linen. On the palate, it is pure, with gorgeous clarity and precision. There are notes of crushed nuts and almond meal through the finish pepper it with layers of textural grip and complexity. This is a beautiful wine. 13.1% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.