The 2022 Luminosa Chardonnay is texturally svelte and sleek, with powerful fruit flow and drive across the palate. The wine is utterly composed and totally sophisticated. The prodigious acidity is juicy and lemon scented, while the fruit plays on the white/yellow end of the spectrum. There are hints of turmeric, yellow peach, orange peel, pink grapefruit, green apple, white flowers, wafer and brine. The Luminosa vineyard is in Wallcliffe, tucked in behind Voyager and Leeuwin, if you're familiar with the area. While the Luminosa and Suckfizzle Chardonnays are almost at fiscal parity these days, I prefer the sleek, sophisticated lines of the Luminosa over the unbridled power and form of the Suckfizzle. There's no right answer; they're both great wines and quite distinct in their expressions. 13.1% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

2021 was a cool vintage in Margaret River, the conditions proved a little tricky at times (rain due to dual, offshore cyclones both at the start and finish of harvest, the first in early February and the second in April); however, as always, it was a matter of "producer over circumstance," and the best prevailed with grace. So, within the context of a cooler vintage, the tension and phenolics in the 2021 Luminosa Chardonnay make it edgy and alive. The acidity is pert but ripe—testament to the health of the site in Boodjidup—and the fruit in which it is ensconced is fleshy and concentrated. A spool of acid and flavor through the finish assist the prolonged linger in the mouth. Excellent. 3.15 pH, 8.86 total acidity, 13% alcohol. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, and malolactic fermentation is blocked.

The 2020 Luminosa Chardonnay is an extraordinary wine. It is immune to hyperbole and, at this point, still very cheap in the Australian market. It is streamlined, sophisticated and spiced. Possessed of incredible line and poise, the acidity, as usual, is en pointe—lemony, taut and pierces through the ripe fruit. The most important thing about the acidity in this wine, in all vintages I have tried, is that although it is very high, it is also juicy and ripe—it injects life and pulse into the wine and is a hallmark of this brilliant vineyard. The staying power on the palate is impressive and a plus; it’s pristine. Banger. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, with 3.15 pH, 8.39 total acidity and 13.7% alcohol. Malolactic fermentation, as usual, is blocked in this cuvee.

The 2018 Luminosa Chardonnay is a plump, rounded effort, loaded with peach and pineapple fruit. It's medium to full-bodied and richly textured yet balanced by notes of lime zest and an almost briny character on the long, vibrant finish. Rich and refreshing, it's a fine example of what the southern portion of Margaret River can regularly produce.

The 2017 Luminosa Chardonnay is moving into middle age now—it has almond skin, nougat and crushed nuts, almond meal, peach fuzz and curry leaf on the nose. This is expansive and expressive of the Luminosa site—a very healthy and good-looking vineyard in the heart of the Boodjidup Valley (a prestigious postcode in Margaret River: Leeuwin Estate, Voyager Estate, Xanadu and now Vasse Felix all have significant holdings here). This is extraordinarily concentrated, focused and with high tensile intensity. It’s almost painful in its intensity—and that’s a good thing. This is a polished, streamlined and complex Chardonnay. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, no malolactic fermentation, with 3.15 pH, 8.35 total acidity and 13.6% alcohol.