2024 Murdoch Hill Rocket Chardonnay

98 pts SUCKLING TOP 100
A wild ferment gone right - high-altitude Lenswood fruit meets serious structure and drive in one of the Adelaide Hills' most distinctive Chardonnays.

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Description

The Rocket originally started as an accident - a single rogue ferment that took off with so much energy Michael Downer decided to bottle it separately. Today, it stands as one of the most distinct wines in Murdoch Hill’s Artisan range, representing the edgier, tightly wound side of Adelaide Hills Chardonnay.

Now in its eighth release, the 2024 vintage is sourced from the elevated, cool slopes of Lenswood. Downer leans hard into precision and drive here. The fruit undergoes a wild ferment and full malolactic fermentation, maturing in 45% new oak with careful solids work to build texture.

Despite the serious oak and full malo, the wine never feels heavy. It is tightly coiled and flinty, leading with lemon pith, brown lime, and white stone fruit. The palate is focused and linear, driven by a fine, pithy grip, subtle struck-match complexity, and a mineral acidity that carries through a long, dry finish. It's a contemplative Chardonnay built entirely on tension.

98 points & No.4 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of Australia
"Flashy, minerally and restrained aromas of grilled lemons, struck match, salted nuts, citrus blossoms, phosphorus, oyster shells and honeysuckle. The palate is tightly wound, with excellent density of fruit cut through by electric acidity and bright, tense clarity that leaves a mouthwatering finish of oatmeal plus savory and saline undertones. It’s hard to believe this is 100% malolactic given the high-voltage, energetic drive. This is truly excellent and all class."
- Ryan Montgomery (James Suckling)

98 points & No.4 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of Australia - "Flashy, minerally and restrained aromas of grilled lemons, struck match, salted nuts, citrus blossoms, phosphorus, oyster shells and honeysuckle. The palate is tightly wound, with excellent density of fruit cut through by electric acidity and bright, tense clarity that leaves a mouthwatering finish of oatmeal plus savory and saline undertones. It’s hard to believe this is 100% malolactic given the high-voltage, energetic drive. This is truly excellent and all class. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - Ryan Montgomery (James Suckling)

Our 8th release, the 2024 Rocket Chardonnay, once again launches from the elevated slopes of Lenswood — a site that continues to define purity and tension in Chardonnay. The season delivered fruit of exceptional intensity and clarity, captured here in a wine that is both powerful and precise. Aromas of lemon pith, brown lime and white stone fruit are layered with subtle struck-flint complexity and a touch of nutty oak. The palate is driven and tightly coiled, with mineral acidity and a fine pithy edge carrying the fruit through a long, moreish finish. Full malolactic fermentation and 45% new oak bring texture and gravitas without weighing down its energy. A focused, linear Chardonnay with lift and length — a wine of momentum and quiet force.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Adelaide Hills
Australian State SA
Reviewed By James Suckling
Critic Score 98
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

Murdoch Hill

Murdoch Hill is a family-owned winery captained by talented young winemaker Michael Downer.

Downer splits the range in two: his clean-cut, consistently high-quality ‘Estate’ wines are excellent value and perpetually reliable, and his quirky, adventurous ‘Artisan’ wines which offer an alt-styling and different shades of the region.

With the combination of high-quality Adelaide Hills fruit grown on the family estate and the undoubted talent in the winery, this is a Hills producer on the up and up!

Murdoch Hill Murdoch Hill

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