Juniper Cornerstone Chardonnay 2022

Will the wines of Juniper change now that Mark Messenger has left (after twenty-five years)? It’s too early to tell, really, but it is interesting to see how Andrew Bretherton (ex-Deep Woods) does at a winery that makes smart under-the-radar Margaret River wines. This Cornerstone Chardonnay is a beautiful wine, to get back to the task at hand, if maybe a little on the stern side. Grapefruit, whipped butter, nutty golden hints, and restrained power. I wonder if it would be even more convincing with a little more malolactic richness and riper fruit, but the sacrifice would likely be the pristine flavours and velvet glove power.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: now and for a decade. It will keep on keeping on
• Score (out of 20): 18.5
• Score (out of 100): 94
• Alcohol %: 12.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 65
• Winery website: https://www.juniperestate.com.au/
• Would I buy it?: Sure would. It's yum