2024 · Chardonnay

Cloudburst is a family-owned Margaret River estate in Western Australia run hands-on by American biologist Will Berliner and his wife Alison Jobson. Set on bushland near the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, the vineyard is planted at Burgundian-style density and farmed biodynamically without irrigation, chemicals, or machinery, using cover crops, composts, rock dusts, and homeopathic preparations. Vines are hand-pruned, hand-trellised, and hand-harvested. Berliner leads the winemaking with Stuart Watson, following a minimal-intervention approach with wild ferments. The wines are produced in tiny quantities, released by allocation, and are noted for their singular, precise, life-filled style.