The Dexter Chardonnay 2024 is a taut, citrus-driven white from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, built for line and length rather than richness. It has the cool-climate cut the region is known for, with enough flesh through the middle to keep it generous.

Grapefruit, white peach and lemon curd lead the aroma, with a chalky, almost oyster-shell edge underneath and a faint waft of toasted nuts. Nectarine and white nectarine skin follow on the nose as the wine opens in the glass.

The palate is fine-boned and driven, with acidity running straight through the centre and a subtle creaminess filling out the edges. Texture is more silk than cream, and the finish is dry, saline and long, closing on lemon pith and a mineral bite that keeps you reaching back for the glass.

Serve it with grilled flathead, scallops in brown butter, a roast chicken with lemon and thyme, or a plate of freshly shucked oysters. It also handles richer fare like chicken and leek pie without losing its shape.

Drinking beautifully now, particularly with an hour in the decanter, and it should hold and build complexity through to around 2031.