Mount Bellarine Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 2–8 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled lobster with garlic butter
✨ Technical Specifications
The Mount Bellarine Chardonnay by Scotchmans Hill showcases the exceptional cool-climate terroir of the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria. Grown on wind-swept hills defined by black volcanic soils over limestone, the vineyards benefit from the moderating maritime influence of Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait. This unique microclimate slows ripening, allowing the Chardonnay grapes to develop intense flavor complexity while retaining a vibrant, natural acidity. Crafted using traditional winemaking techniques, including fermentation in French oak barriques and regular lees stirring (battonage), this wine beautifully balances bright citrus and stone fruit characters with a creamy texture, subtle cashew notes, and a distinctive flinty minerality.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 by David and Vivienne Browne on an erstwhile dairy farm, Scotchmans Hill stands as the pioneer and quintessential benchmark estate of Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula within the Geelong wine region. Perched atop the peninsula's extinct volcanic outcrop, the vineyards benefit from fertile black basaltic clays over limestone subsoils, complemented by maritime microclimates moderated by Port Phillip Bay and the Southern Ocean. Under the stewardship of long-tenured Chief Winemaker Robin Brockett, who joined the fold in 1988, the estate champions low-intervention viticulture certified under Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Brockett's cellar philosophy prioritizes site-driven purity, native fermentations, sensitive French oak integration, and extended lees maturation. Scotchmans Hill produces distinguished cold-climate expressions, most notably its flagship Estate and Cornelius Chardonnay, tactile Pinot Gris, and estate Sauvignon Blanc, alongside celebrated regional ventures like the Henry Frost Riesling and approachable Jack & Jill tiers.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.0-13.5%