Yabby Lake Vineyard was established by the Kirby family in 1998, in Tuerong, which is located in the northern part of the peninsula.  Over the past decade, the vineyard has built a reputation for single vineyard chardonnay and pinot noir of great purity and character. Led by winemaker Tom Carson, the philosophy is to craft wines that speak of site and the season in which they were grown.  It’s the attention and care in the vineyard that is most critical to allowing this expression.

This chardonnay is a blend of P58 clone and Mendoza clone, hand selected from three vineyard blocks on the property. This wine reflects our philosophy at Yabby Lake - to craft wines that reflect the spirit of the season and vineyard. The fruit was handpicked, with each block handled separately in the winery to ensure each parcel could reach its potential. The fruit was whole bunch pressed into tight grain French oak barriques (10% new). All wild ferment.

While there’s no shortage of fine, mouth-watering acidity pulsing throughout, it’s surprisingly open and flavoursome. And everything is in place so this is balanced. Citrus and white stone fruit, creamy lees, nougatine and some spicy oak unfurl across the finely tuned palate. Refreshing, enjoyable now and will garner more complexity with time. Date: Jan 2026; Price: $60.00; Alcohol: 12.5%; Drink by: 2035; Rating: 95 Points; James Halliday Wine Companion