De Bortoli can lay claim to a tradition of compelling Chardonnay wines. Their award winning efforts have made an essential contribution to the evolution of Chardonnay in Australia. Grapes for Vat 7 are selected from good vineyards which can yield the quality of fruit characterized by the luscious nectarine flavours that are so central to the style. A course of barrel ferments, malolactic and exposure to sedimentery yeast lees in oak makes for a richly textured Chardonnay wine with good colour, creamy textures and extravagant palate richness.

The team take regular trips to some of the finest Victorian vineyards, assembling parcels of fruit for the creation of a vibrant, youthful Chardonnay wine. Grapes are harvested throughout the cool of night and delivered promptly to the wineworks at Bilbul for vinification. Following inoculation to choice yeasts, juices are settled and racked, a warm fermentation and extended lees contact achieves a wine full of flavour and structure. A small portion completes natural malolactic in barrel, a third of the wine is fermented in seasoned American and French oak barriques for a fortnight. Components are left in barrel on gross lees for a year's maturation. Alcohol 13.0%