The Lucky Lizard Chardonnay
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed within 3 to 8 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted chicken, grilled salmon with lemon-butter sauce, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Sourced from the cool-climate slopes of the Adelaide Hills, d'Arenberg's 'The Lucky Lizard' Chardonnay is a vibrant and textured white wine that beautifully contrasts the estate's warmer McLaren Vale reds. The wine's quirky name pays homage to a fortunate little lizard discovered unharmed in the grape crusher during a past harvest, which was quickly rescued and returned to the vines as a symbol of good luck. This Chardonnay is crafted using traditional, hands-on methods: the grapes are gently pressed, followed by wild fermentation in French oak barriques. To build complexity and a luscious mouthfeel, the wine undergoes regular lees stirring (battonage) without undergoing malolactic fermentation, preserving its crisp, natural acidity and bright citrus core.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn in the heart of McLaren Vale, South Australia, d'Arenberg is a historic, family-owned winery currently guided by fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn. Renowned for its traditional, hands-on approach, the estate utilizes very old basket presses and practices foot-treading for all its red wines, maintaining a steadfast commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture. The winery is celebrated for its highly characterful, complex wines with distinctive, quirky names, most notably its flagship 'The Dead Arm' Shiraz, alongside exceptional Grenache and Rhône-style blends. Today, the estate seamlessly blends its rich heritage with avant-garde innovation, epitomized by the iconic d'Arenberg Cube visitor center rising above the ancient vines.