This year’s Estate Chardonnay is sourced from four vineyards in Geelong. Notably, it's the first year the Estate has harvested a full crop from the cool Hat Rock vineyard, located on the Bellarine Peninsula between Drysdale and Portarlington. This vineyard sits bayside on dark clay and loam with limestone. The Moorabool Home Block, situated at an altitude of 205 metres, features basalt-derived clay over basalt. Additionally, a small portion of grapes comes from Sua Park, a Bellarine site with thin red clay. Finally, Hillside Haven is located on the western slope of Mount Anakie at 254 metres, where rich black clay and granite sit atop a quaternary basalt bedrock.

The grapes were hand-harvested in separate parcels, whole-bunch pressed, and wild fermented in the Estate's lightly toasted, custom-made French oak barrels. The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation and is aged in approximately 40% new oak. Compared to 2023, this vintage shows more power, showcasing Lethbridge’s signature profile of beautiful stone fruit layered with citrus, wet stones, and oak spice. It has plenty of cool-climate vibrancy and energy, with a lingering, mouth-watering finish.

Named after daughter Allegra, this is Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson’s flagship Chardonnay. They source the fruit for the Allegra Chardonnay from the historic Rebenberg vineyard in Mount Duneed. Located 10 kilometres southwest of Geelong, the vineyard was initially planted in 1858 and replanted in 1968 by Ken and Joy Campbell. The Chardonnay vines are now almost 50 years old (planted in 1981, making them some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in Geelong). They are rooted in gravel and quartz soil and give extremely low yields of less than 12 hl/ha. These low yields and old vines go some way to explain how the Rebenberg vineyard always delivers “fruit of incredible density and acid”, according to Ray.

Fruit for the 2019 Allegra was hand-picked and pressed as whole bunches before barrel fermentation with wild yeasts. The wine underwent full malolactic conversion and matured for 11 months in new oak, which Ray says allows “the oak tannins to frame the wine”. The wine then aged in bottle for a further five years before release. Lethbridge and Chardonnay are a match made in heaven, and here we have exhibit A.

A perfectly cellared museum release Allegra from Lethbridge. Named after daughter Allegra, this is Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson’s flagship Chardonnay. They source the fruit for the Allegra Chardonnay from the historic Rebenberg vineyard in Mount Duneed. Located 10 kilometres southwest of Geelong, the vineyard was initially planted in 1858 and replanted in 1968 by Ken and Joy Campbell. The Chardonnay vines are now almost 50 years old (planted in 1981, making them some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in Geelong).

The vines are rooted in gravel and quartz soil and give extremely low yields of less than 12 hl/ha. These low yields and old vines go some way to explain how the Rebenberg vineyard always delivers “fruit of incredible density and acid”, according to Ray. Following ten years in the cellar, it’s a cracking, drink-now Vic Chardonnay delivering great flavours and perfume of ripe lemon and ginger-infused clotted cream flecked by delicious umami-savoury notes.

Lethbridge’s Estate Pinot Noir brings together fruit from three Geelong vineyards, nicely balancing inland depth with coastal elegance. The Moorabool Home Block gives it structure and core fruit, Springbank adds a bit of grip, and Hat Rock lifts things with freshness and finesse.

Everything is hand-picked and fermented in small batches with wild yeast, using about 50% whole bunches for a bit of spice and texture. It’s then aged for 11 months in mostly older oak, so the fruit stays front and centre. “We really pulled back on the new oak, which works beautifully for the year,” Indra Nadeson remarked. “It needed a gentler touch.”

In the glass, it’s classic cool-climate Pinot: bright cherry and cranberry, a little herbal spice, and a fresh, sappy edge. There’s lively acidity, fine tannins, and a long, smooth finish that keeps you coming back for another sip.

Mietta Pinot Noir, named after one of Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson’s daughters, is Lethbridge’s flagship Pinot Noir, sourced entirely from the property’s original Pinot Noir block. Otherwise known as the ‘Top Block’ and located on the eastern part of the property, these were the first vines to go into the ground when the replanting began in the mid-‘90s. “It’s a block planted by PhDs”, quips Ray, referencing the assistance from friends and colleagues when they were starting out. The low-yielding block is planted entirely to the MV6 clone on black clay, basalt and limestone soils.

The Mietta site is one of the region’s coolest, so these bunches were given extra time on the vine. This brings the intensity of flavour and structure: then, Ray likes to see good lignification of the peduncle before harvesting, as the fruit mostly ferments as whole bunches. The fruit was picked by hand and fermented spontaneously in open-top vessels with 80% bunches. The wine matured for 11 months in new wood and three years in bottle before release.