2018 Xanadu DJL Chardonnay Margaret River Australia 750 ml

It feels like our past offers with Xanadu have been building up to this point—years of momentum and Wine Access customer fandom resulting in today’s breakthrough exclusive and extraordinary value.

We alone have been entrusted with the U.S. launch of this wine, with only 300 cases allocated for the entire country. That’s important because, at just $20—down from a list price of $30—everyone is going to want a piece of this gorgeous Chardonnay from Margaret River’s “epic vintage.”

That’s how 2018 was characterized by top Aussie critic James Halliday. He awarded 95 points and a gold rating to the 2018 DJL (as well as a red star, denoting a “special value”), writing: “The complexity and character of the wine has garnered countless gold medals over the years, and you would expect this vintage to add to the record.”

Thrillingly clean and crisp, there’s a slightly salty edge to this Chardonnay, evoking sea spray and oyster shells. It’s at once lean and yet slightly creamy, enveloping the palate with an elegant, seamless feel that holds through to its gorgeous finish, disclosing Meyer lemon, sliced pear, wet stones, and jasmine flower. That balance is highly indicative of the Margaret River terroir, adding site-transparency to this wine’s long list of virtues.

Those of you who have boosted Xanadu and their incredible work deserve a share in today’s special exclusive. Now with first rights to this $20, 95-point wine, you’ve earned your chance to cash in on a wild Chardonnay deal.

Xanadu lies in the center of Margaret River, the remote, maritime-influenced region whose name has become synonymous with luscious Chardonnays. Dr. John Lagan (whose initials give this bottling its name) and his wife Eithne planted their first Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon near the coast in 1997; the Xanadu property now has over 200 acres of vines planted in well-drained gravelly soils. Acquired by the Rathbone family in 2005, Xanadu has remained family-owned and obsessively quality-focused. As evidenced by the estate’s expansive roster of trophies, gold medals, and 90+ point scores from critics the world over, Xanadu is now a proper Aussie legend.

Everything about how this wine is made should translate into a higher price tag. Grapes are harvested early in the morning, and whole-cluster-pressed straight to barrel for a wild spontaneous fermentation, guaranteeing this wine’s freshness and complexity. Steps like these, and the cost of tracking and measuring individual fermentations of each barrel, are rarely found in a wine priced under $20.