DW Wine Club Member Price: $499

This fine Champagne marks the 50 year anniversary of Laithwaite’s. It’s pure Chardonnay from the grower Paul Goerg and the outstanding 2002 vintage. Long aged on its lees, it has lovely, creamy, toasty brioche notes as well as citrus, honeyed fruit.

We were looking for a particularly fine fizz to mark the 50th anniversary of Laithwaite’s Wine’s launch onto the world. We’ve certainly found it with this superbly rich, complex and elegant 2002. It’s pure Premier Cru Chardonnay from the tiny production, Champagne grower Paul Goerg. Secondary fermentation in bottle was followed by five years’ ageing on its lees (the standard is two), then another few years more, after dosage and the finishing of the wine. This Champagne was launched by Tony back in the 1970s and he’s still proud of it. No doubt he’ll be cracking open a few bottles during this special anniversary year, as well as tucking a few away in his cellar. An excellent celebration Champagne, when only the best will do.

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover or a wine by its label; but in the case of Laneway, we say do just that. The art was featured in a Melbourne laneway for 27 days and was admired by thousands of people before being painted over. Sensational and all the more beautiful because of its transiency – just like the wine inside. It's made using select parcels of grapes from vines up to 70 years old, all close to the Nagambie Lakes in Victoria. These bodies of water temper the heat and draw out the ripening to produce this ripe, fruit-laden Chardonnay.

This 2022 is generous and creamy, with white peach, lemon zest and honeydew notes and tangy freshness. A versatile and irresistibly fruity wine on its own or with chicken or seafood.

The mission for the wines made at Le Chai Mediterranné is to make classic Grand Cru styles at a good value price. So our winemaker, Mark Hoddy, sources grapes not from the pricy, famous-name appellations, but from tucked-away vineyards where the quality is outstanding. This poised, elegant white is crafted very much like a fine white Burgundy, yet the fruit is from the Languedoc.

Mark sources the best Chardonnay grapes of the vintage from trusted growers, many from cooler sites to retain that tantalising bite of freshness and minerality in the finished wine. Ageing on lees in barrel lends a creamy rounded texture and complexity to Le Champ. Yet the fruit remains foremost. Gently chill and enjoy with creamy white meat dishes or salmon.

The mission for the wines made at Le Chai Mediterranné is to make classic Grand Cru styles at a good value price. So our winemaker, Mark Hoddy, sources grapes not from the pricy, famous-name appellations, but from tucked-away vineyards where the quality is outstanding. This poised, elegant white is crafted very much like a fine white Burgundy, yet the fruit is from the Languedoc.

Mark sources the best Chardonnay grapes of the vintage from trusted growers, many from cooler sites to retain that tantalising bite of freshness and minerality in the finished wine. Ageing on lees in barrel lends a creamy rounded texture and complexity to Le Champ. Yet the fruit remains foremost. Gently chill and enjoy with creamy white meat dishes or salmon.