Thompson Estate Margaret River Chardonnay 2022

Wine writers use lots of fancy words to describe wine. Some words fail miserably to impart a wine’s taste, some not. I hope I’m not failing into the former category when I describe this Margaret River charmer from the 2022 vintage as “forward in personality.” Let me explain. Classic Margaret River weather – clear days, cool nights – in 2022 delivered what one winemaker has called a “cracker” of a harvest. That translated into a plush, generosity of fruit that can’t fail to impress. It’s all there right now in the glass. No waiting required. The inviting scent gives it away: yellow peach, pear, Meyer lemon, hazelnut, lemon butter. There is a ripe, warm, buttery, nutty quality attached to the citrus and stone fruits that brings such flavour pleasure to the glass. It combines with a distinct saline tang and bright acidity that brings some ying to the fruit’s yang. Totally delicious.