Ranked #2 of 17 2024 Chardonnay from Orange
94/100
4.5 Stars
Stuart Knox
Light and bright lemon yellow colour. Lemon curd, green apple and bath salts on the nose. Palate is lively and fresh, apple and white stone fruits meld with saline minerals and a lift of florals adding character. It is well bound by fine driven acidity, balancing the generosity of texture with its precision. Lovely length and crisp to the end
Tasted: 18/08/2025
Drink: 2025 to 2034
95 Points James Halliday
Another release, the fifth from Jeff Byrne, is another wine of tension and purity. He understands the assignment to make the most of Orange’s distinct soils and altitude. Pomelo pulp, lemon sorbet and white peach. Crisp orchard apples and freesia. This is dripping in fruit richness and oak plays second fiddle to the citrus heart. This is chardonnay after all and it's fleshed out in the sides and round curves where it should be. Acidity pushes the wine forward and up a steady incline without being sour or discordant. Some white pepper, nutmeg and sour dough on the finish. This is extreme value for money and the kind of chardonnay that modern day fanatics of the variety are coveting. Drink 2024 - 2034.
Source: James Halliday.