Bended Knee Ballarat Chardonnay 2020

I’ve tried several previous vintages of the Bended Knee Chardonnay and they have never disappointed. The 2020 is a pleasure to drink, with oodles of complexity. Prominent aromas of grapefruit and wax leap from the glass, alongside cheese, some oakiness, honey, apricot, lanolin and nuttiness. It fills the mouth with bright flavours, its silky, sinewy, salty and even oily texture making it a joy for more than just the senses of taste and smell. With some air time, the palate turns quite savoury, highlighting the nutty, honeyed flavours, though the fruit is still present. While it already has four years of bottle age, it has the structure and acid to mature for at least another five years.

Brendan Black

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Brendan is a Melbourne-based writer, filmmaker, playwright and composer. Since 2013, he has been published in national and regional Australian titles such as Halliday Magazine, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Grapegrower and Winemaker, Gippslandia, Gippsland Lifestyle, Yarra Valley and Ranges and Gippsland Country Life magazines. Brendan was a finalist for 2024 Wine Communicator Awards in the 'Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column' category. He has completed the WSET Level 3 course (gaining a Distinction) and has a passion for small producers of wine, beer and spirits. He is also the co-editor of 'I'm Not a Film Star: David Bowie as Actor' for Bloomsbury Academic.

Author and wine writer