A tale of three vineyards: Handpicked Wines’ latest museum release chardonnays

For Handpicked Wines, the 2021 vintage couldn’t have been better. “The growing season was beautiful that year, with a Goldilocks-like quality – not too much of anything,” says chief winemaker Peter Dillon.

It was also the last in a run of “typical” weather cycles in Victoria, before 2022 kicked off a number of La Niña years – cooler, wetter, and resulting in wines with amazing natural acidity.

Handpicked Wines is offering oenophiles the chance to revisit these distinctive vintages through three museum release single-vineyard chardonnays – two from the 2021 vintage, and one from the 2022 vintage. “We make the single-vineyard wines for the long road,” says Peter Dillon. “In my mind, they are a bit like a tightly wound spring when we first release them, but with layers of flavour, tension and length that mean they will evolve gracefully.”

Handpicked Wines' chief winemaker Peter Dillon.

The three wines – from Highbow Hill in the Yarra Valley, Capella in Mornington Peninsula and Wombat Creek in the Upper Yarra – are shaped almost entirely by site. “Highbow has the hallmark characteristics of wines from the lower parts of the Yarra Valley,” says Peter. “I see a lovely lemon fruit, savoury spice and richness of flavour overlayed with fine phenolics and length of palate.”

The Capella vineyard is a site lower on the slopes in Mornington, closer to Westernport, and is largely planted to the Mendoza clone. “The classic hen-and-chicken berry/bunch characteristics highlight the bright Mornington acidity, which goes on to give fantastic acid line and length of flavour,” says Peter.

“Wombat is a really interesting site,” he adds. “As it nears 40 years of age, we see this lovely ethereal grace and perfume in the wines, classic of Upper Yarra, but overlayed with the power of old vines.”

It was that diversity of site, and his love for pinot noir, that drew Peter to Handpicked Wines in the first place. “I was wanting to deep dive into the pinot noir world, and the role came up with Handpicked offering exposure to sites and winemaking that included Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley and Central Otago,” says Peter. “It could not have been more perfect. The scope of our sites and projects makes for an incredibly diverse range of wines to consider on a daily basis. I am never understimulated.”

Handpicked Wines' Capella vineyard in the Mornington Peninsula.

One such project has been Handpicked Wines’ journey to becoming the first producer in Victoria and the first in Tasmania to be certified as both sustainable and organic. This means they don’t use artificial chemicals or fertilisers, or herbicides for weed control, and instead cultivate the thin strip undervine to remove weeds and competition for the vines.

They’ve also evolved their approach to animals, such as deer. Instead of the big perimeter fences they used to put around a site, they now plan for wildlife corridors and install wombat “doggy doors” in fences to allow them to follow their routine paths. And the result? “I think this approach has definitely made an impact on the wines, particularly around added layers of savoury, complex characters and a change to the definition of the wines on the palate by way of tannin and structure,” Peter says.

If you're wondering how best to enjoy these three wines, Peter keeps it simple: “With three examples to talk to, I would choose a select group of friends that allows you to experience the three side by side. Start with the wines on their own, but have some simple, seasonal food on hand to then add to the experience.” The invitation is clear: revisit these wines, and let time and place do the talking.

To explore the current museum releases, visit the Handpicked Wines website and click through for the tasting notes from Katrina Butler below.