Holyman Chardonnay 2024

This is a very good Chardonnay from Joe Holyman. Nougat, fine cedar and saline ‘sea spray’ minerality provide an alluring savoury opening before lime skin, lemon zest, subtle flint, grapefruit pith, just-ripe white peach, sea salt and crushed cashew nuts. It’s restrained and eminently classy, with the saline complexity building into brine territory and making it very moreish. The restraint carries through to the palate — lemon pith, sea salt, seaweed, white grapefruit, white peach and fine cedar glide through the mouth with an excellent balance of tension and texture. There’s good grip and firm saline acidity through a finish of long length that’s laced with lemony tension. A class act that just keeps getting better with air and will undoubtedly get much better with time in bottle.