Stonehaven Stepping Stone Chardonnay

Key characteristics:

Stonehaven Stepping Stone Chardonnay is an approachable and fresh expression of Chardonnay, showcasing vibrant varietal character from Australia’s renowned Limestone Coast. This unoaked Chardonnay offers a clean, fruit-driven profile with delightful notes of tinned peaches and mangoes, making it a classic and inviting choice. It’s a light, fresh, and bright wine designed to express the unique qualities of its terroir.

Tasting Notes:

• Variety: 100% Chardonnay
• Appearance: Light pale straw with hints of green.
• Aroma: Fruity and creamy, with vibrant apple and passionfruit flavours entwined with a touch of vanilla spice.
• Taste: The palate has fleshy white peach with flecks of lemon rind and apple skin with a salivating finish and sherbet acidity.
• Region: The Limestone Coast, Australia, is celebrated for its diverse cool climate and distinctive limestone soils. This region benefits from abundant water and cool evening temperatures, even during warm days, which imparts freshness and vibrancy to the Chardonnay grapes. Stonehaven’s vineyards are deeply rooted here, utilizing the rich soils to craft complex and balanced wines.
• Pairing: Best enjoyed alongside a coconut or cashew-based curry or with creamy chicken and pork pasta dishes, but it’s also delicious with richer seafood dishes, fish like snapper and barramundi, and all kinds of noodle or tofu preparations.

Overall impression:

This Chardonnay delivers immediate comfort and generosity, coating every corner of the mouth with its finely knit, fruit-forward style. It’s a clean, simple, and approachable wine that beautifully captures the essence of the grape and its Limestone Coast origins.

Extra notes:

• The Stonehaven winery, originally built by Hardy’s in 1998, was acquired by CW Wines in early 2021 and has since been relaunched with a refreshed brand, continuing its legacy of producing quality wines from the Limestone Coast.
• The “Stepping Stone” Chardonnay is notably unoaked, allowing the pure fruit characteristics of the versatile Chardonnay grape to shine through.
• This wine has received a commendable 91 points from Wine Orbit.