Picardy Pannell Family Chardonnay 2025

Accolades

Ray Jordan, WA Wine Review – 95 Points

Ray Jordan describes this Pemberton Chardonnay as a wine that captures the vintage and the region beautifully. He notes the delicacy and refinement expected from Pemberton, with a gradual build of intensity through the palate. Floral notes, subtle cashew nuttiness and a faint citrus edge lead into a deceptive palate that begins lightly, then builds with purpose to a sustained finish. He calls it “a most appealing wine of impeccable breeding.”

Ambrose Nock

Ambrose Nock notes that this is the first white wine made under the Pannell Family label, following the high quality and value already established by the Pannell Family Pinot Noir. He highlights stone fruit, honeysuckle, ginger and citrus pith, with the oak and bâtonnage influence scaled back to let fruit purity and length shine. He describes it as an elegant, friendly and very fine debut in the Picardy house style.

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Pale straw with a bright, youthful edge.

Aromatics: Light floral notes, honeysuckle and stone fruit, with subtle cashew, ginger and a fine citrus lift.

Palate: Elegant and pure, with stone fruit at the centre. The wine starts with delicacy, then slowly builds in flavour and intensity. French oak and lees work add gentle texture, but the focus stays on fruit clarity, freshness and length.

Finish: Long, fine and beautifully composed, with citrus pith, soft nutty detail and lingering Pemberton freshness.

About the Wine

The Pannell Family Chardonnay 2025 is an important new chapter for Picardy. While Picardy Chardonnay is already highly regarded, this release sits under the Pannell Family label and is made to deliver the same quality-minded approach in a slightly more approachable style.

It is estate grown, hand-picked and made on site, which gives it a strong connection to the Picardy vineyard and the Pannell family’s long history in Pemberton. The style is not big or overworked. It is elegant, textural and refined, with fruit purity doing most of the talking.

Wine Details

Producer: Picardy
Range: Pannell Family
Wine: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2025
Region: Pemberton, Western Australia
Variety: Chardonnay
Fruit source: 100% estate grown Picardy vineyard fruit
Harvest: Hand-picked
Maturation: French oak
Made: On site by the Pannell family
Style: Dry, elegant cool-climate Chardonnay

Serving and Cellaring 

Serve: 10 to 12°C

Avoid serving this too cold. A little warmth in the glass will help the stone fruit, honeysuckle and subtle oak detail open up.

Decant: Not needed, although a few minutes in a good Chardonnay glass will help the texture and aromatics build.

Cellaring: Delicious now for its purity and freshness, with the balance and length to develop over the next five to eight years.

Food Pairing Suggestions 

• Roast chicken with lemon and herbs
• Grilled marron, prawns or scallops
• Baked salmon with citrus butter
• Pork with apple and fennel
• Creamy mushroom risotto
• Roast cauliflower or pumpkin with browned butter
• Brie, Comté or mature cheddar

FAQ 🧐

Is this the first Picardy Pannell Family Chardonnay?
Yes. The 2025 vintage is the first ever Chardonnay released under the Pannell Family label.

Is it estate grown?
Yes. The wine is made from 100% estate-grown fruit from the Picardy vineyard in Pemberton.

What does it taste like?
Expect stone fruit, honeysuckle, ginger, floral notes, subtle cashew and fine citrus pith, with a long, elegant finish.

Is it heavily oaked?
No. It is aged in French oak, but the oak is restrained and supportive. The focus is on fruit purity, texture and balance.

Is this similar to Picardy Chardonnay?
It sits very much in the Picardy house style: refined, elegant and detailed. The Pannell Family label gives Chardonnay lovers another way to enjoy estate-grown Picardy fruit.

Can I cellar it?
Yes. It is drinking beautifully now, but the balance, acidity and length suggest it will continue to develop well over the next several years.

How We Store This Cork-Sealed Wine

You might not think about how your wine was stored before it reached you, but we do. How a cork-sealed bottle is stored can influence how well it retains its freshness, character and ageing potential.

Why Should Cork-Sealed Wine Be Stored on Its Side?

Storing wine on its side keeps the wine in contact with the cork, helping it remain moist, swollen and tightly sealed.

If a natural cork dries out and begins to shrink, unwanted air may gradually enter the bottle. This can cause the wine to age prematurely, lose its freshness and fruit character, or eventually become oxidised.

Temperature stability is also important. Regular temperature changes can cause the wine, bottle and closure to expand and contract, placing additional pressure on the seal. Keeping the bottle lying down in a temperature-stable environment helps protect the wine and allows it to develop as the winemaker intended.

Why Do Retailers Often Store Wine Upright?

Upright bottles are easier to display, allow customers to see the labels and require less specialised storage space. They are also quicker and easier for retailers to organise and pick from shelves.

For wines that sell quickly, a short period standing upright is unlikely to be a major concern. However, premium, limited-release and cellar-worthy wines may remain in storage for much longer. When you are spending good money on a special bottle, its storage history matters.

Proper horizontal storage requires more space and is less convenient for the retailer, which is why it is not always prioritised.

The Partners in Wine WA Difference

Every wine sealed under natural cork is stored lying down in our temperature-stable environment from the time it arrives until it leaves for its new home.

It takes up more room and requires greater care, but we believe it is worth doing properly. Whether you plan to open the bottle this weekend or keep it for a special occasion, you can be confident that it has been carefully stored while in our possession.

It is one of the small but important differences that comes from buying your wine from a specialist Western Australian wine retailer.

One qualification: I would only use this wording when you know the bottle has a natural cork. For DIAM, synthetic cork or other alternative closures, we may want to adjust the language slightly.