Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia, 13.5%, 

(£12.99, Majestic, Waitrose and others)

So this…is our WINE OF THE YEAR!

Why? 

Because it’s delicious.

Because it’s amazing value for money.

Because it’s the wine we bought more of than any other this year.

And for a host of other reasons. It goes brilliantly with food, but also works well as an aperitif. It speaks of where it comes from – the natural freshness of Margaret River shines through, as does their expertise with Chardonnay, with just a gentle touch of oak adding complexity and savoury appeal.

You’ll notice I haven’t specified a vintage above. That’s rare – usually we try to be as specific as possible – but we’ve tried four vintages of this wine lately, back as far as 2014, and they’ve all been delicious. So: consistency, another reason to recommend.

We featured this wine in our Majestic masterclass for Wine Festival Online. (Video included below.) It’s fair to say 2020 hasn’t been the easiest for Australian wine, from rampant bushfires to Chinese super-tariffs and Covid lockdowns. So there’s another reason to support. 

I visited the Vasse Felix estate when I was down under a few years ago. I came away inspired, and a big fan of winemaker Virginia Willcock. We’ve also been long-time drinkers of their fabulous Heytesbury Chardonnay – not cheap at around £50 a bottle but cheaper and better than many supposedly loftier Burgundies.

So there we have it. The Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay is officially our Wine of the Year. Enjoy! And here’s to 2021…

(7.5/10, Susie & Peter, Dec 2020)