2024 Lambert Crudo Chardonnay

About The Wine

Lambert’s stimulating Crudo Chardonnay hails from the east/northeast-facing slope on the Denton vineyard’s cone-shaped site. The vines are now 22 years old, sitting on expressive soils of granitic sand over heavy granite boulders. The fruit was pressed as bunches and vinified entirely in tank. The wine went through full malolactic conversion and was bottled without fining or filtration and with minimal sulphur. 

“The granite soils of the Denton vineyard are most evident in the Chardonnay wines,” says Luke, and we’ve certainly experienced that extra mineral depth in the Lambert Crudo and Estate Chardonnays since he moved his sourcing here. The new release is full of ripe citrus, stone fruits, talc and flint, with weighty mouthfeel cinched by zippy, balanced acidity and a citrus, mineral-rich close. Yarra Chardonnay at this quality, interest and price point is a rare bird.  

About Luke Lambert

Luke Lambert is one of Australia’s most respected and instinctive winemakers, known for his hands-off, terroir-driven approach and deep connection to the Yarra Valley. Inspired by time spent in Piemonte and Australia, Lambert believes that the true character of a wine comes from its environment—the soil, aspect, sunlight, and rainfall—rather than rigid winemaking formulas. His style is all about letting the vineyard speak, crafting wines that are pure, expressive, and honest. Every Lambert wine is handpicked, from a single vineyard, and made with minimal intervention: wild ferments, no temperature control, long macerations, gentle handling, and no fining or filtration. His wines, especially Chardonnay and Syrah, are known for their elegance, balance, and sense of place.

Lambert’s range is deliberately simple. His entry-level Crudo wines—Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Rosé—are grown on the granite-rich Denton View Hill and are lauded for their exceptional quality and value. The more focused Black Label Chardonnay and Syrah come from the Tibooburra Estate, a windswept, east-facing site with poor volcanic soils. This terroir produces low yields and intensely flavoured fruit, perfectly suited to Lambert’s restrained style. The Chardonnay is bright and structured, while the Syrah—deep, dark, and cool-climate in expression—has become a benchmark for Australian Shiraz. With limited oak influence, fresh acidity, and fine tannins, Lambert’s wines are a reflection of both place and philosophy, standing as some of the most compelling examples in contemporary Australian winemaking.

Region: Yarra Valley

Country: Australia

Alcohol: 13%

Vintage: 2024

Size: 750ml

Closure: Cork

Varieties: Chardonnay