Mount Mary is one of the great small wineries of Australia, established by Dr John Middleton in 1972. Production is tiny. Mount Mary is noted for both the character and high quality of its wines. Since the first vintage in 1976, it has established itself as one of Australia's most highly regarded producers, commanding a mythical status among wine collectors. The vineyard faces due north and captures optimum sunlight during the growing season. The purity of fruit, poise and structure of Quintet, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot blend, epitomises the estate. It resonates with individuality of place and Dr John’s fastidious respect for the landscape. Mount Mary has continued to take great steps forward while staying true to the vision of Dr John, whose son David oversees the business while grandson Sam Middleton has taken on the winemaking mantle with aplomb.

Year after year, this storied chardonnay has continued to adapt with the times and the climate, with the 2024 being truly exceptional. Aromas of sliced pears, white nectarines, wet river stones, citrus and a salty mineral edge brought together with flinty reduction. The taut, focused palate offers mouthwatering acidity, with an underlying power waiting to unravel. No malolactic fermentation, which preserves the freshness, making this drinkable now yet with immense cellaring potential. Date: Sept 2026; Rating: 98 Points; James Suckling

The 2024 Chardonnay, like the Triolet of the same vintage, is unbelievably concentrated and intense, both aromatically and in the mouth. It has notes of crushed nuts and white flowers, stewed green apple, saline acidity and spicy/savory phenolic structure. This is both sophisticated and engaging, long and impressive. It is routinely a brilliant wine, and since 2020, this has shown excellent restraint and composure, tension and complexity. The finish here is gentle, despite the front of the wine being intense, and the impact is one of softness. I like it so much. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Rating: 97+ Points; Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Matured in French puncheons and barriques (30% new) for 11 months. Offered under both screw cap and diam. Tasted under screw cap. A bright green gold. Complex and restrained with aromas of white peach, grilled nuts, flint and subtle oyster shell. The palate is finely tuned and, while there's that typical Mount Mary concentration, it also has a delicacy that makes this appealing. Built to age superbly. Date: Feb 2026; Alcohol: 13.5%; Price: $185.00; Drink by: 2032; Rating: 97 Points; James Halliday Wine Companion

White peach, lemon and lime, cashew, a little biscuit spice and aniseed, with a fair amount of struck match, though it’s not overt or too dominating, just noted. It’s juicy, but also quite savoury, a distinct flinty grip with fine acidity threaded so neatly through the wine, a layer of cashew richness, and a bright and gently saline finish of excellent length and precision, a slight preserved lemon thing carries in the aftertaste. Outstanding. Date: Aug 2026; Alcohol: 13.5%; Price: $185; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2027-2036+; Rated: 96 Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front