Seppelt The Drives Chardonnay is a superb example of the new style of premium Australian Chardonnay — tight, fruit-focused, and built on natural acidity rather than excessive oak treatment. Sourced primarily from vineyards in the Grampians and Henty regions of Victoria, where cold, wet winters and warm days with cool nights produce Chardonnay of intense fruit flavour and crisp, cleansing acidity, The Drives is a wine of genuine elegance and complexity. Pale straw with a golden hue, with white peach, melon, oatmeal, and sweet toasty oak on the nose, and a palate of full, sweet stone fruits and citrus peel, knotted together with a talcy texture and fine citrusy acid. Fantastic length of flavour, balanced with leesy creaminess for a round and generous finish.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Pale straw with a golden hue — the fresh, elegant colour of a premium Victorian Chardonnay from the cool-climate Grampians and Henty regions, with the clarity and brightness that natural acidity and careful winemaking deliver.
Aroma
Inviting and complex — white peach and melon lead, with oatmeal and sweet toasty oak adding depth and texture. The delicate influence of French oak barrel fermentation is evident without overwhelming the fresh fruit focus that defines The Drives style.
Palate
Full and generous — sweet stone fruits and citrus peel carry through a palate of talcy texture and fine, citrusy acid, with fantastic length of flavour balanced by leesy creaminess from barrel stirring and partial malolactic fermentation. Round, generous, and deeply satisfying.
Pairs With
Seppelt The Drives Chardonnay pairs beautifully with pan-seared salmon, roast chicken, creamy pasta, soft-ripened cheeses, and seafood risotto — a premium Victorian Chardonnay of genuine versatility and elegance.
