Rowlee R Series Chardonnay 2023

Rowlee’s R series represents their reserve wines – the finest parcels treated with the utmost care. Slow fermentation in French oak and regular lees stirring builds texture and exceptional complexity. The aromas open with a hint of struck match, quickly fleshed out with bright yuzus and white peach. There’s a hint of vanilla bean crème brûlée and toasted hazelnuts; offering a prediction of the future of this wine. If you thought the aromas were enticing, the palate takes it up a notch, with a magnificent balancing act of flavour concentration and finesse. There’s honeysuckle, a melange of citrus and stonefruit, alongside a nutty, savoury, fresh hay note. Mouth-filling and silky with a dusting of phenolics that are whisked away by beautifully integrated, precise acidity. So much depth and complexity at just 2 years old and so much promise for a stunning evolution in the cellar. Drink some now, and try (although I recognise the challenge) to keep some for later.

Nicole Bilson

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Nicole loves wine. So much so that she gave up a successful career in Pharmacy, perfected her spitting technique, and moved from sunny Queensland to the wine-drenched laneways of Melbourne. Stints in hospitality, wineries, retail, sales and marketing filled the next few years while Nicole built her knowledge and searched for the right path. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2016 and became a certified WSET Educator the following year. She now juggles a number of roles including teaching people about wine, curating wines lists for restaurants and bars, judging in Australian wine shows and, of course, writing. In 2016 she won the Negociants Working With Wine writing award and has since contributed to Gourmet Traveller WINE, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine and Nourish Magazine.

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