2015 Wildberry Estate Reserve Chardonnay Margaret River 750 ml

Paddling for Waves of Minerality and Catching 97 Points

In a recent lineup of several Chardonnays from Margaret River at Wine Access HQ, one of the standouts was this 2015 Wildberry Estate Reserve — earning a whopping 97-points from Australia's leading wine critic James Halliday. Because the vineyards of Margaret River are planted just a few miles from the Indian Ocean, they are treated to steady stream of cool and cleansing salt-tinged ocean breezes. The resulting Chardonnays are intensely mineral-driven, marked by pure fruit flavors, complexly layered and often long-lived — and none more so than this Wildberry Reserve of which only 250 cases were produced. We secured 100 of them for Wine Access clients. Released at $45, on this U.S. exclusive — just $25.99 per bottle for one our most scintillating Chardonnay finds so far this year.

Margaret River is a magical place — blessed with generous winter rains, well-draining gravelly soils, and cleansing and cool ocean breezes. Vineyards aren’t fully exposed to the elements — there’s a buffer of karri, jarrah and peppermint trees which add their own intoxicating aromas to the area. But beyond the vines, some of the most pristine beaches in the world exist on Western Australia’s jagged coastline, and Wildberry Estate’s winemaker, Damon Eastaugh, ranks in the top five “Big Wave Surfers” in the world. In the mornings he surfs waves 40-60 feet high, then heads a few miles inland to tend to his wines and vines.

But there’s no need to jump on a surfboard here — you can taste the salinity from the Indian Ocean, as well as the unique sense of place that surrounds the Wildberry Estate vines, just by opening a bottle of this energetic and beautifully complex Chardonnay.

Jonathan Cristaldi
Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access