2023 Mayfield Vineyard Chardonnay Eighteen Fifteen Orange Australia 750 ml

Warm days, cool nights. Chardonnay that’s rich, tropical, and textured—but still has a vibrant, drink-another-glass energy.

If you think that sounds like Napa, you’d be right. But it also describes the Mayfield Vineyards Eighteen Fifteen Chardonnay, from Orange, Australia. And you can be sure nobody in Napa is making Chardonnay like Mayfield’s for under $35.

The 2023 Eighteen Fifteen Chardonnay, which boasts a 95-point score from Australia’s most important wine publication, was one of the highlights of our recent trip Down Under. We loved it enough that we skipped the middleman to direct-import it ourselves. 

Most American wine lovers have never heard of Orange, Australia. Even in its home country, the wine region is a hidden gem. It sits in New South Wales’ Central Ranges, is one of the highest-altitude wine regions in the country. That means it gets bracingly cool nights to complement its sunny days and gently warm daytime temperatures. It’s everything winemakers could want for growing grapes like Chardonnay.

But there’s not much wine made there—it’s about 94% smaller than Napa Valley by acreage—so it’s easy to miss. That’s changing, though, as Australia shifts its domestic focus from big, bold Shiraz to a wider variety of wines. 

Mayfield is helping to lead the charge. They first planted vines in 1999, and have since become a winery to watch in the region for Australian insiders—but since they sit less than four hours from Sydney, domestic demand has tended to snatch up their small supply. We were fortunate to stumble upon this gem when we were there, and we’re proud to share it with you.