Oakridge delivers Chardonnay precision (again)

Oakridge Vineyard Series Barkala Chardonnay 2018

This feels like a repetitive post. Andrew opens Oakridge Chardonnay. Andrew loves Oakridge Chardonnay. Rinse. Repeat.

The 2018 releases from Oakridge feel like proper balancing work with the season’s tendency to riper flavours/less natural acidity tempered by clever winemaking. Indeed the wine doesn’t suffer, there’s just more ripe fruit. Less twin turbo 4 cylinder, more inline 6. Oak has an impact but it just adds an extra layer to the mix. It’s mealy, more peach than nectarine, more traditional Australian Chardonnay than reductive nouveau lean style. From every angle, across fruit, oak and acidity it nails the brief, and of all the ’18 Vineyard Series Chard releases from Oakridge it seems the most focused, the most powerful. Superb wine. Best drinking: nowish, though in a year or so it might get even better. And likely to still be alive in 8 years. 18.7/20, 95/100. 13.5%, $42. Would I buy it? $42 is cheap for this level of quality. Buy buy.