Australia: Ten Minutes By Tractor - 10X Chardonnay 2024, Mornington Peninsula

Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay. 13% alcohol. 

While a light-hearted name - so-called as their three neighbouring vineyards are each 'ten minutes by tractor' apart - this estate happens to be one of the finest sources of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir not just in Australia but the whole world. 

Owned and run by the Spedding family, their wines are legendary in wine circles and while they weren't the first producer on the Peninsula, their single-vineyard bottlings from the 2000 vintage onwards were quickly recognised as being amongst the very best. This is an epic producer.

This might be Australia, yes, but ditch the stereotypes: this is a cool-climate region, just a ten minute drive (by car!) from the notoriously breezy Bass Strait. They even get a touch less ripeness here than at Danbury Ridge, Essex!

The producers on the Mornington Peninsula, around an hour's drive south of Melbourne, are all small-scale and unshowy, and mostly family owned and run. Quite a few run their own restaurants on site, making the area a foodie paradise. There are no corporate behemoths churning out mass-market brands here! 

Sustainability at Ten Minutes By Tractor: here, we are talking small-batch wild ferments i.e. the use of indigenous yeasts naturally present in the vineyard and winery (instead of using mass-produced 'cultured' yeasts that come in a bag!) for spontaneous rather than winemaker-induced fermentation. 

The estate is run along organic and regenerative lines which involves: preserving soil health and biodiversity, zero herbicide use, cover cropping, water efficiency, a lot of work by hand on canopy management to minimise disease risk naturally rather than via frequent spraying. 

Winemaking here is top-notch: spontaneous fermentations require much more focused and attentive winemaking, while oak is used here only to support/frame the wines, not to flavour them. This wine spent 5 months in French oak puncheons, only 10% of which were new. 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes: "Bright citrus, white nectarine, and perfumed floral notes bring a lovely freshness and vitality to this wine. As the palate glides through, there is a creamy mouthfeel, light and soft, key lime and biscuit crumb edges giving texture and grip. Delightful."

Food pairing: in their restaurant, the estate pairs this with hazelnut and ricotta homemade gnocchi with burnt butter and sage sauce. Being a crisp yet weighty Chardonnay, this will pair beautifully with seafood (just wonderful with lobster!), chicken and turkey, creamy mushroom and truffle dishes, and soft cheeses. 

What the critics say:

"The wines from this estate have become classier and classier with each passing year. Indeed, it's fast heading for elite status" - Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh

"Chardonnay at its seductive best - poised, assured and curvaceous but contained" - Nick Ryan, The Australian  

92 points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review: “Light, bright yellow colour; creamy lees, cashew and lemon curd aromas, fresh, clean and bright. Pristine fruit‑driven flavours, light‑medium weight and beautifully balanced, the finish dry, clean and more‑ish. Excellent value too.”

Ten Minutes By Tractor is "a stand out; a benchmark" - Jancis Robinson MW