Provenance

Producer

Critics Ratings

2018
'Selective pickings of Chardonnay single-vineyard, natural ferment/maturation in oak, 5% amphora sur lie, stainless steel, deliver usual riveting tension, ripe lime, spice complexity in 2018. Increased texture, fine-grained density yield to breathtaking flinty, limy persistence.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2021, 5* (97 pts)

'"It's not the winemaker," says Craig Wessels, "I've just got great sites." His vineyards are certainly first class, but I think the man is being too modest here. Consistently one of the New World's best Chardonnays, this is complex, balanced and judiciously wooded with 10% amphorae-fermented juice adding some va-va-voom. 2019-27.' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 96/100

2019
'Drought-breaking 2019 vintage conferred rare combo of very low pH and not-too-high acidity, giving delicacy and effortless texture, pleasing hint of salt. Single-vineyard fruit, naturally fermented/year in oak, 5% new, plus 10% amphora component deliver riveting tension, lime and spice complexity, flinty, limy persistence. Magnificent.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2022, 5* (96 pts)

'The 2019 Ava Marie is a very impressive creation indeed. While many of the earlier vintages were a little more honied and resinous quite early in their evolution, the last few vintages have firmly moved in a direction that favours textural tension and a stonier minerality led by aromatics loaded with smoky, flinty, struck match reduction nuances, waxy lemon peel, wet chalk and subtle oat meal leesy notes. On the palate there is a very keen line of acidity together with an ample, fleshy, yellow citrus fruit freshness that boast layers of pithy yellow grapefruit, lemon cordial, crunchy white peaches and hints of sophisticated wet river pebble liquid minerality. One of Craig's most Burgundian expressions to date, this wine combines fabulous tension with sublime balance.' - Greg Sherwood MW, The Fine Wine Safari, 96+/100 (Dec 2021)

'A touch woody/cedary on the nose. But fresh and stony citrus, too. Bone dry, salty, almost austere but not quite. Super-fresh and lean, but not thin. Long and pure.' - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Oct 2022)