2025 Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay

93 pts
Kooyong’s reliably good Mornington Chardonnay, offering regional pedigree and plenty of immediate pleasure without the flagship price tag.

Price:
Sale price$35.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Kooyong Clonale gives you a lot of Chardonnay without asking you to spend at the top of the range. The 2025 is a generous, immediately appealing release that shows why this has become such a reliable Mornington Peninsula buy.

Hand-picked fruit from the Tuerong and Balnarring vineyards makes up the blend. New French oak accounts for just 14%, adding a little spice without taking over.

White peach and grapefruit come with roasted cashew, a touch of toast and subtle struck match. There’s plenty of fruit through the middle, with fresh acidity and a fine, chalky texture keeping the finish lively and long.

This is the bottle to open while the more expensive Chardonnays are tucked away. An easy option.

93 points
"It’s juicy yet quite tight in acidity ... with a finish of good intensity and length."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

93 points
"it’s still a very good drink. You’d buy it with confidence."
- Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

92 points
"For a young chardonnay, this is seamless and nicely styled, and very drinkable now."
- Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review)

16.5 points
"Everything about this beamingly bright wine seems to radiate an aura of sunny Summer yellow!"
- Tamlyn Currin (Jancis Robinson)

93 points - "A blend of Kooyong’s Tuerong and Balnarring vineyards. Hand-picked. 14% new French oak. This is good. It’s juicy yet quite tight in acidity, has some sour yoghourt and oatmeal in with citrus tang and melon, a fine powdery texture, a lick of spicy cedar oak, slight struck match, with a finish of good intensity and length. Nice." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

93 points - "While it’s no longer the bargain it once was, it’s still a very good drink. You’d buy it with confidence. It’s not complex, but it’s not simple, with plenty of citrus, stone fruit, cashew-like lees and texture plus acidity to enjoy on its own." - Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)

92 points - "A tempting mix of spiced apples, nectarine and fennel awakens the senses. The wine glides across the palate, carrying flavour and composure, leaving a ripple of chewy phenolics in its wake. For a young chardonnay, this is seamless and nicely styled, and very drinkable now. Everything seems to fall into place: there’s a lot to like." - Gabrielle Poy (The Real Review)

16.5 points - "Vines planted in 1996 in Tuerong, north-facing, 100–120 m on clay loam. Sustainable viticulture and low-intervention winemaking. Everything about this beamingly bright wine seems to radiate an aura of sunny Summer yellow! Lemon and bergamot, citrus blossom and chamomile. The acidity has a hazy softness but it fills the spaces, and there is wonderful rock-pool salinity. Fragrant, citrus-peel zesty and a nip of catnip on the finish." - Tamlyn Currin (Jancis Robinson)

Tasting Profile
March 2026

The bouquet opens with bright citrus aromatics of lime and grapefruit, layered with white peach and a subtle touch of reduction. Notes of grilled nuts, toast, and nougat add depth and gentle complexity.

The palate is generous and expressive, delivering concentrated citrus and stone fruit flavours with impressive intensity. A chalky, talc-like phenolic texture provides structure and shape, framing the wine’s generosity without overwhelming it. Subtle oak influence supports the fruit, while vibrant acidity brings precision and balance, carrying the wine to a long, flavourful finish.

13%

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Mornington Peninsula
Australian State VIC
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
The Wine Front
The Real Review
Jancis Robinson
Critic Score 93
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2025
Closure Screw Cap

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