Rising Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2022. It deserves more accolades.

Rising is a Yarra Valley label that deserves more attention. Anthony Fikkers makes these typically clever light-touch Yarra wines, and every time one crosses the bench, I think, ‘Why aren’t these talked about more’? Sometimes they tend a little too delicate, perhaps? Whatever, to me, these wines way overperform.

There is some masterful winemaking going on in this Rising Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2022. There’s a Sao/oatmeal/nougat worked nose that makes it seem like a big wine. But it’s all a ploy – underneath, it’s tight, and the snappy back palate feels barely settling in. Clever! That reduction vs freshness style can be overdone in Yarra Chardonnay, but this doesn’t feel overdone, with nose and palate matching up. Really good, even if it needs more time to settle in.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: next year and for at least six years after that.
• Score (out of 20): 18
• Score (out of 100): 93
• Alcohol %: 13
• RRP (in $AUD): 35
• Winery website: https://www.risingwines.com.au/
• Would I buy it?: I'd drink most of a bottle