2024 Anim Chardonnay $45
It's been 20 years since former Brisbane bloke Max Marriott lobbed into the State as a young winemaking intern, keen to work with the 2006 harvest season in the Tamar Valley. It was a cracker of a vintage. One that left indelible memories for the Lincoln University (NZ) student.
The lure of handcrafting distinctive cool climate Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir brought Marriott back to the State permanently in 2017. He began his family and his new business with his wife Siobhan here and has been resident ever since.
We're all the better for it.
Marriott is a very dedicated, talented and insightful winemaker. He was named a Young Gun of Wine finalist in 2021 and 2022, reflecting considerable industry and consumer respect for his carefully wrought and often innovative wines. But talk with Marriott over a good glass like this current release Chardonnay and he'll soon tell you his craft is all about the vineyard.
He works with six leased sites in and around Hobart, lavishing care on them as if he'd parted with his last dollar to take them on board. The resulting Anim wines derive their brand name from daughters Audrey, Niamh and Imogen.
Vintage 20204 was not unlike Marriott's first in the State – a ripper when it came to barrel-fermented Chardonnay. This release was sourced entirely from the Clarence House Estate of former cardiologist, Professor David Kilpatrick. The vineyard overlooks Pass Road, within the foothills of Mt Rumney and the Meehan Range. This is the southern edge of the Coal River Valley.
Chardonnay from this part of the world used to appear in tasting notes for early vintages of Arras as 'Rokeby' so you know the fruit here is going to be intense and razor-sharp. Ditto the resulting wines.
The 2024 Anim Chardonnay is indeed a wine of precision. It weighs in at 13.3 percent on the naughtiness scale, underscoring its midweight elegance. The Marriott family threw caution to the wind for this wine, purchasing some very smart (and very expensive) new French oak from François Frères Cooperage.
One barrel.
The wine telegraphs its noble heritage with a little smoky note that very soon takes on a briny minerality. Citrus, lemon/grapefruit characters slide gently across the palate, along with a subtle, white nectarine/almond flavour that hints of the European mirabelle plum. Lovely.
There's a lot of style and finesse on show here. It will be fascinating to see how the wine evolves.
Anim Chardonnays have a great track record for improvement in a cool dark place. Sadly, easier said than done.
Source: Online purchase
www.animwine.com
Last page update: 10 October 2026