Southern Light Vineyards Ghostgum Chardonnay 2023

95 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

This was a cool and wet year in Mornington, presenting a challenging vintage. The wine has emerged triumphantly. Hand-picked and wild yeast fermented in a combination of French oak, with about 30% new. A portion underwent malolactic fermentation, combining with the non-malolactic character to bring palate richness and fine precision. It’s a delicate wine with light floral fragrances, a lemony melon character, and a faint biscuity influence. The palate is fine, with a deep fruit intensity in the white stone fruit zone. Balanced, poised, and perfectly framed with crisp chalky acidity providing finishing definition.

95 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

Chardonnay has led the quality stakes at this site, and it seems more is about to be planted – out goes the oldest block of MV6 pinot noir, in goes chardonnay. The ’23 vintage turned out to be tricky on the Peninsula – wet and cold – yet chardonnay shines. Expect citrus and white stone fruit, ginger spice, cedary, sweet oak, with the palate bolstered by creamy lees yet tightly bound by superfine acidity. It’s a little flinty, with a beguiling, almost preserved-lemon saltiness across the palate.

95 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

From a vineyard in Main Ridge, planted 1990. I tasted the 2022 Chardonnay last week (I think), and I like this 2023 more. Also, I invariably have Southern Nights by Glen Campbell (those pesky Campbells…) in my head when I read Southern Light, and now I’m playing it. Heaven help me! It’s a refined wine though it strikes me as having just about enough of everything, and not too much of anything. Grapefruit, green melon, a little cedar and cinnamon, mint and chamomile. It has crunch and energy, a gentle gloss, flinty grip, hazelnut, a saline element with some green olive and lemon zest on a finish of excellent length and precision. Outstanding, and more importantly, so good to drink. Thirst quenching. Touch and go for 96 points.