Levantine Hill Chardonnay 2016
Levantine Hill Estate Chardonnay 2016 is a 13.5% ABV, 750mL Chardonnay from Levantine Hill Estate in Coldstream, in Victoria's Yarra Valley, sealed under screwcap. The Yarra Valley is Australia's benchmark cool-climate Chardonnay region, and Levantine Hill is its most ambitious estate — and this vintage proved itself in competition, taking a Silver Medal at the Global Chardonnay Masters 2018 in the Oaked £50+ category. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 13.5%
- Size: 750mL
- Vintage: 2016
- Grape: 100% Chardonnay — Estate bottling
- Region: Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
- Award: Silver Medal, Global Chardonnay Masters 2018 (Oaked £50+)
- Closure: Screwcap (Stelvin)
- Winemaker: Paul Bridgeman
Yarra Valley Ambition, European Register
Levantine Hill was planted at Coldstream with an explicit ambition: to prove the Yarra Valley could produce Australian wines of European elegance, and the estate was built around that idea — including a striking gravity-fed winery designed so the fruit is handled as gently as possible. The estate's general method for this Chardonnay, per its current tech sheets, is hand-picking, whole-bunch pressing and fermentation in premium French oak, aged on lees with selected barrels through full malolactic fermentation. The 2016 comes from a strong Yarra season and has had years in bottle to settle into its stride. Find the estate on the Levantine Hill vendor page, or browse more white wine and Australian bottles across the wine shelf.
Tasting Notes
Nose: White peach and nectarine with dried honey, cashew, citrus, light nougat and spice (Nicks' 2016 tasting). Palate: Medium-bodied, elegant but creamy — stone fruit, nougat and dried honey with biscuity oak, lemon butter and beeswax. Finish: Dry, with well-judged acidity and real length.
How to Enjoy
Serve around 50°F in a proper white wine glass — this is a wine that opens over twenty minutes in the glass. Pour it with grilled fish, roast chicken or a simple butter-and-herb pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Levantine Hill? Coldstream, in the Yarra Valley east of Melbourne, Victoria — one of Australia's coolest premium wine regions, known above all for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Has this wine won anything? Yes — the 2016 Estate Chardonnay took a Silver Medal at the Global Chardonnay Masters 2018, in the Oaked £50+ category, per the Drinks Business results table.
Is the 2016 ready to drink? Yes — quality Yarra Chardonnay ages gracefully, and the 2016 is in a mature, complex window now.
Cool-climate Australian Chardonnay at estate level — pick up Levantine Hill Chardonnay 2016 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.