This Wombat Creek Vineyard is farmed organically and is at the top of the mountain in Gladysdale, Yarra Valley (420 meters in elevation). In cool years such as 2022, organic management can be challenging, but the vineyard is on the way to certification. The 2022 Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay ended up being just half the volume of the Wombat Creek Vineyard (four puncheons, which is nothing new, as opposed to eight puncheons in the Applejack) and was taken out of oak four weeks earlier than the other cuvées. Only one of these Wombat Creek puncheons went through malolactic fermentation (i.e., 25% overall). The 2022 Wombat Creek Vineyard Chardonnay leads with a dusty, rocky, spicy nose layered with sandalwood, lemongrass, lemon pith and brine. In the mouth, the wine is tense and full; it's loaded with flavor and texture. The phenolics have a glassy texture through the mid-palate onward, and the vineyard is planted to I10V1 with a little bit of clone 76. This is a lovely wine. It is fleshy and sapid. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
94 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate (Nov 2023)
Wombat is the most reductive in this producer's trio of single vineyard Chards, meaning it offers tightly wound notes of flint, toast, white spice, raw nuts and an umami character, before getting to the lemon drop and melon rind aromas. There's weight and power to the palate, countered by pithy texture and lovely acidity. The tightest of the bunch now, this may win a longevity competition, and promises to reward those who wait.
94 points, Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2024)
Discreet and a little more subdued than its siblings. The highest vineyard in the Yarra. Despite being gently mid-weighted with lower alcohol, this feels softer and looser at the seams, while still typically intense. Bitter almond, lemon zest, nectarine and pistachio accents roll across a skein of tangerine freshness and cinnamon oak. Oatmeal lees at the core. The finish is exceptionally long and effusive of energy. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.
94 points, Ned Goodwin, James Suckling (May 2023)
From the marginal Wombat Creek vineyard planted at around 400m elevation in the early 1980s. Whole-bunch pressed to French puncheons (25% new), one-third mlf. Aromas of yellow grapefruit, gently poached apples, white peach and a little yuzu. With its mouth-watering acidity, this the most tightly wound of the four Giant Steps chardonnays in 2022. Finishes chalky and long, but it needs another six to 12 months to fill out a little.
94 points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (Jul 2023)
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