Main Ridge Old Vine Chardonnay 2025
- 97
- $100
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Founded in 1975 by Nat and Rosalie White, Main Ridge Estate is now guided by the Sexton family and winemaker James Sexton. Its 50-year-old vines, grown on a protected north-facing ridge in Red Hill, produce small quantities of intensely flavoured fruit — and the 2025 Old Vine Chardonnay, sourced solely from this estate vineyard, bears this out. Vivid pale gold colour with flickers of green. An expressive perfume lays out in deep flint, white flowers, Meyer lemon, white peach, nectarine, white nougat, subtle pastry dough, candied almond and a substratum of fine cedar. There’s a shot of saline minerality through the wine’s core that adds dimension, all of this coalescing into a complex and utterly beguiling aromatic profile. The palate balances freshness, creamy texture and savouriness well — white peach and nectarine lead, with nutty tones in tow and a brine-like salinity adding to the savoury complexity. There’s ample power and drive, but a feeling of lift through the mouth, before fine-but-firm pithy phenolics and a salty, citrusy acid line anchor it, drawing to excellent length. There’s a lot to like here — complexity, balance, structure, length. This tracks with the Australian Chardonnay narrative, and sits right up there in the pantheon of Mornington Chardonnay offerings. An outstanding release.
Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.
