The Pooley Chardonnay 2025 is a polished, medium-bodied white from the Coal River Valley in Tasmania, where cool nights keep the fruit taut and the acidity long. Generous orchard fruit sits over a fine, mineral line rather than heavy oak.

Aromatically the wine leads with crisp apple, lemon curd and white blossom, with a faint nuttiness and a wisp of struck flint behind. Air brings a little nectarine and lemon zest.

Fermentation in a mix of French oak and a concrete sphere, followed by six months on full lees, gives the palate a creamy, gently textural feel without smothering the fruit. Weight of white peach and pear runs through the middle, then fresh Coal River acidity draws everything into a dry, faintly chalky finish that lingers well past the last of the fruit.

Serve it with roast chicken and lemon, seared scallops, a leek and gruyère tart, or Tasmanian oysters if you can get them fresh. Pull it from the fridge ten minutes before pouring — a touch of warmth lets the texture show.

Pooley Chardonnay 2025 drinks beautifully now and should hold and build savoury complexity through to around 2032.