2023 Silkman Reserve Chardonnay, Hunter Valley, NSW
$60.00
8 out of 10 CORKSCREWS
2023 Silkman Reserve Chardonnay Wine Review
Elegant, Fruit-Driven & Texturally Fine Hunter Valley Chardonnay
The 2023 Silkman Reserve Chardonnay is an outstanding Hunter Valley white wine that balances vibrant fruit, minerality, and textural precision. Crafted by acclaimed winemaker Liz Silkman, this Chardonnay is a prime example of a modern, food-friendly Australian Chardonnay—made with clarity, restraint, and finesse.
Tasted alongside top-tier Tasmanian and cool-climate Chardonnays, the 2023 Reserve stood out for its purity of fruit, aromatic brightness, and elegant structure. It showcases ripe stone fruit and citrus tones, supported by subtle oak spice and zesty acidity.
The Wined Up team praised the wine’s complexity without weight, describing it as tight, coiled, and long on the palate. It’s a wine that reflects thoughtful craftsmanship—free from excessive alcohol, overt oak, or cloying lees influence.
Ideal for Chardonnay lovers seeking refinement over power, this Reserve Chardonnay offers excellent ageing potentialand pairs effortlessly with seafood, roast chicken, or creamy risottos. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or discovering Hunter Valley Chardonnay for the first time, this is a bottle that deserves a place in your cellar.
How the 2023 Silkman Reserve Chardonnay Is Made
Winemaking Techniques, Oak Use & Clone Selection in the Hunter Valley
The 2023 Silkman Reserve Chardonnay from Silkman Wines in the Hunter Valley is a standout example of cool-climate finesse made in a warm region. Crafted by award-winning winemaker Liz Silkman (2025 Halliday Winemaker of the Year), this Chardonnay reflects a philosophy of restraint, purity, and balance.
Silkman harvests fruit early—1 to 1.5 Baume lower than regional averages—to retain natural acidity and avoid high alcohol. This results in a crisp, focused Chardonnay that bucks the traditional fuller Hunter Valley style.
Fermentation occurs in French oak, with the Reserve label undergoing 30–40% new oak treatment, while the rest is aged in meticulously cared-for old white oak barrels, contributing subtle complexity without overwhelming the fruit. Uniquely, the wine undergoes no bâtonnage (lees stirring), maintaining precision, tension, and linearity.
Made primarily from I10V1 and the highly regarded 95 Chardonnay clones, this wine showcases vibrant fruit, elegant structure, and age-worthiness. Rather than chasing the stylistic hallmarks of other regions like Yarra Valley or Adelaide Hills, Silkman’s Chardonnay is unapologetically Hunter, leaning into its fruit purity and site expression.
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Region | Hunter Valley |
| Country | Australia |
| Corkscrew Rating | 8 out of 10 |
