Wilyabrup is a warmer district, famous for its cabernet, so tends to produce a bigger style of chardonnay. This is somewhat old-fashioned and shows plenty of oak and malolactic (butter; butterscotch) characters, full-body and forward-development in its medium yellow colour and rich palate. There are honey, butterscotch and toasty oak aromas and flavours. It has a broad, bulky palate with richness and grip. It’s what winemakers call a more ‘worked’ style, thanks to malolactic, a high proportion of new oak (nearly 50%) and what seems like an oxidative approach to winemaking and maturation.

This style goes well with hearty food, such as richly-sauced roast chicken or chicken satays.