2023 Treeton Chardonnay, Nocturne

• Style: Pale, mineral-driven, restrained
• Taste: Stone fruit, gunflint, sherbet acidity, saline minerality
• Food: Poultry, shellfish, white fish, oily fish, pasta & risotto
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, date night
• Serve: Very cold, 13% ABV

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

This Chardonnay tastes like where it grows. Treeton, Margaret River's only inland sub-region, sits in the cool shadow of the Leeuwin massif, and that maritime influence shows in every sip. Where many Australian Chardonnays sprawl with butter and oak, this one arrives restrained and salty — white peach and citrus notes anchored by a saline minerality that speaks of deep sandy soils and slow, even ripening through 2023. The acidity has that sherbet-like snap that makes you reach for the glass again, while a fine phenolic grip suggests this wine will age with grace.

The Winery — Nocturne

Julian Langworthy, one of Australia's brightest winemaking talents, sources these grapes from two low-yielding, cane-pruned vineyards in Treeton and treats them with deliberate restraint — whole-bunch pressed directly to barrel, fermented with wild yeasts, and left on the lees until August. No fining, minimal intervention. This approach lets the vineyard speak. Langworthy's reputation rests on a Jimmy Watson Trophy in 2014 and Halliday's Best Winemaker in 2019. What began as a side project in 2010 has grown into one of Australia's most respected small producers, with a deliberately compact range of sub-regional and single-vineyard expressions from Margaret River's distinct pockets. The 2023 vintage captured ideal growing conditions and moderate yields, resulting in fruit of uncommon purity.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Serve it very cold with butter-sauced fish, creamy goat cheese, or roasted chicken, and watch how that acidity cuts through richness without effort. This wine pairs beautifully with shellfish, oily fish, and pasta dishes, making it perfect for Sunday lunch or a date night at home. At 13% alcohol and vegan-friendly, it's a wine that feels modern without chasing fashion. Among our finest selections of Australia, this sits alongside the rest of our cool-climate offerings as proof that Southern Hemisphere work rivals anywhere on earth. If you've tasted other Margaret River selections and found them generous, try this one: it rewrites the conversation.