Each year, The Real Review quietly undertakes a wide range of comprehensive and rigorous tastings of Australian wine. Through the way its website organises results by variety and region – as well as combined state, regional and varietal lists – it has, somewhat by design, created a natural and evolving reference point. This serves both the wine trade and wine drinkers alike, not only for the scores it publishes, but for the depth, consistency and transparency of its tasting process.
The release of 2023 Chardonnay has been relatively consistent across producers so far, although a number of leading wineries are yet to release their wines. As such, the currently published Top Victorian Chardonnay list is not exhaustive and will undoubtedly continue to evolve. For now, as of December 2025, The Real Review has tasted 188 Chardonnays grown across Victoria. Even at this stage, the list reflects a vintage of remarkable quality and regional expression, with many of Australia’s most established and respected Chardonnay producers represented.
Within this context, we are humbled to see the 2023 Fighting Gully Road Smith Vineyard Chardonnay ranked 2nd overall, and the 2023 Fighting Gully Road Chardonnay (white label) placed 15th overall. To be included so prominently in a field of this scale and calibre is something we acknowledge with gratitude and perspective. Among 188 Chardonnays tasted from across Victoria, the list features benchmark producers from Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Macedon Ranges and beyond, regions with long-established reputations for Chardonnay excellence, as does Beechworth.
In the context of the full 188 wines tasted, 2023 Fighting Gully Road Smith Vineyard emerged as the highest-ranked Beechworth Chardonnay, with the second label (white label) 2023 Chardonnay also featuring at 15th.
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- Fighting Gully Road Smith Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 — #2 of 188
Light and vibrant yellow in the glass. The first nose is all toasty smoky oak and reductive notes, with almond meal and backgound grapefruit/citrus, and these themes are repeated on palate, although there the fruit is uppermost. Traces of toffee and peanut brittle, a note of buttery croissant. The wine is powerfully concentrated and searingly intense, but all the while retaining its finesse. Such intensity and drive is almost shocking. Endless length. A great chardonnay.”
– 98 points from Huon Hooke for The Real Review.
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Savaterre Chardonnay 2023 — #4 of 188
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Fighting Gully Road Chardonnay 2023 — #15 of 188
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Light-mid bright yellow; creamy lees and bread crust aromas, the palate intense and focused, bright and piercing, with great panache and long-lasting finish. The flavours are precise and beautifully harmonised. Superb chardonnay, with high ageing potential.” – 96 points from Huon Hooke for The Real Review.
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Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 — #21 of 188
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Star Lane Chardonnay 2023 — #57 of 188
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Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Chardonnay 2023 — #90 of 188
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Indigo Secret Village Chardonnay 2023 — #101 of 188
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Domenica Chardonnay 2023 — #136 of 188
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Indigo Chardonnay 2023 — #173 of 188
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Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Thorley Chardonnay 2023 — #174 of 188
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Foreign Friends Chardonnay 2023 — #184 of 188
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To see multiple Beechworth wines performing so strongly reinforces the strength of the region, and we are proud to be part of that collective story. Having both Fighting Gully Road Chardonnays appeared in the Top 15 speaks to the consistency of the vineyards and the ability of our team to produce exceptional Chardonnay. The Smith Vineyard wine reflects a particular block and season – the oldest vineyard in the Beechworth wine region, first planted in 1978. While the white label Chardonnay shows how Beechworth character can shine through with restraint and balance, with the fruit taken from both the Smith and Fighting Gully Road Vineyards.
You can view all 188 of the 2023 Top Victorian Chardonnay as ranked by The Real Review here.