d’Arenberg The Olive Grove Chardonnay 2021

It has been said before – McLaren Vale is rarely the first place one thinks of when looking for top-notch Chardonnay. That does not mean that you won’t find some gems. After all, think Hunter Valley. Same deal. d’Arenberg’s Olive Grove is usually 100% McLaren Vale, but in the stellar 2021 vintage, it includes some Adelaide Hills material. It works. The name comes from the region’s history as the McLaren Vale region has enjoyed the presence of olive trees for almost two hundred years. The colour is a shining gold. The aroma moves from melons to nuts, the barest touch of ginger and there is just a hint of oak, while stonefruit notes weave their way throughout. Good acidity and nicely balanced, with decent length, this is an attractive style, destined for drinking over the next 12 months, when it will provide much pleasure, though it will linger longer. Cracking value. Drink: 2022-2024. Score – 90. (Ken Gargett, winepilot.com, Feb. 2022)