Wynns Messenger Chardonnay 2024

This is the inaugural release of this wine, from the highly regarded Messenger Vineyard, located in the southern parts of Coonawarra, on the famous terra rossa strip. Chardonnay was first planted here in 1993. Whole bunch pressing is followed by eight months maturation in a mix of new (27%) and older French oak. For anyone wondering why any part of this precious and legendary red wine growing dirt would be allocated to whites, it was only a few decades ago that Riesling was the most widely planted variety in Coonawarra. The wine is still youthful and will surely improve further over the next few years. At the moment, a pale lemon hue, with a nose exhibiting notes of nuts and florals, stone fruits and spices with apricots, pears, grapefruit and a minerally backing with gentle oak. A seductive and quite creamy palate, with bright acidity and a lingering finish. This will benefit from a short spell in the cellar before opening, and then drink well for the next five to eight years when it will be a different, and even more exciting beast than we have today. If one might digress for a moment, likely destined for the cutting room floor as they say in the classics, food and wine matching. It often seems winery recommendations range from ‘suits everything you can think of’, to absurdly specific suggestions like ‘elephant eyelashes sous vide with endangered panda paw’. Nothing in between. Our friends at Wynns have taken the latter route, recommending ‘Taiwanese street food style popcorn chicken with crispy fried basil’. Seriously? How many of us even know what a popcorn chicken is or are likely to be carrying our bottle of Coonawarra Chardy around the streets of Taipei? Rant over, this is a delicious Chardonnay with its best ahead.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic