Driftwood Artifacts Chardonnay 2022

Walks a similar path to its higher priced sibling, Single Site chardonnay, but with a little more zip and bounce in the fruit department. It certainly boasts a drink-now kind of accessibility, which is not to deny any further ageing potential, but you gotta love what it is delivering right now. Red apple, citrus, grapefruit, white nectarine with a gentle spiciness to the perfume that is delicate and fine. Less plush than some Margaret River Chardonnays, which can be an attraction in itself. What you do find is a supple, textural quality to this wine which offers a nice counterpoint to the juicy, bright acidity. Flavours are open, youthful and expressive with citrus and stone fruits particularly upfront. Terrific freshness.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic