Dalwood Estate Chardonnay 2024 from the historic Dalwood vineyard on the Hunter River in the Hunter Valley is a generous, modern Aussie Chardonnay with ripe stone‑fruit flavour, a creamy palate and beautifully judged oak that keeps everything in balance. Picked in late January, this Dalwood Chardonnay 2024 shows exotic peach and melon layered over white stone fruit and citrus, with a distinct green almond and flinty sulphide vein adding complexity and freshness.

On the palate you’ll find good breadth and presence without losing that clean line of acidity – creamy texture, integrated oak, and subtle notes of toasted oak, vanilla and butterscotch that sit behind the fruit rather than dominate it. It finishes smooth and nicely weighted, delivering that classic “white – buttery and complex” Hunter Valley Chardonnay profile while still feeling bright and lively in the glass.

This is a cracking match for roast chicken with herbs, grilled salmon, mushroom risotto or richer seafood like scallops in a buttery sauce, and it will handle soft, creamy cheeses beautifully on a grazing board. Serve Dalwood Estate Chardonnay 2024 slightly chilled for immediate drinking, or tuck a few bottles away to let the oak and fruit knit even more over the next couple of years for fuller, more layered Hunter Valley enjoyment.