Pale gold in colour, the wine opens with aromas of oyster shell, sea spray, white nectarine, pink grapefruit pith and Tahitian lime, supported by gentle notes of vanilla, toasted oak, nougat and gingernut. The palate is generous yet precise, revealing grapefruit, white stone fruit, preserved lemon, saline minerality and creamy cashew complexity from lees ageing. Bright acidity carries the wine through a long, savoury finish. Delicious now, though it will reward a few years in the cellar. Perfect with BBQ crayfish and lemon herb butter.

"Single-vineyard terroir expression is the objective of the flagship King Billy wines. The '24 vintage is the first time the quality of chardonnay from the Mount Barker site has been deemed particularly exceptional and marks the first King Billy bottling of the variety. Luminous pale gold, it carries a breeze of ozone and sea spray, priming the senses. Preserved lemon, loquat, white stone fruit, lime zest and candied ginger radiate through the core of the wine, mingling with the oak's ginger snap spice and vanillin influence. Texturally, it's saline and lip-smacking, and a veil of creamy lees softens and curtails. It's beautiful and interesting, and it meets the site-expression brief with ease." 96 points, Katrina Butler, Halliday