The final leg of my Australian Odyssey took in the vineyards of Victoria. Back in 2011, this state was the cradle of the postmodern Chardonnay phenomenon, which eschewed oak and alcohol in favour of lighter-bodied examples with characteristic sulphidic aromas such as flint and struck match. Six years later, the pendulum of fashion seems to be swinging back towards the middle ground. In fact, one of my favourites among the many that we tried was an entirely traditional barrel-fermented Chardonnay made by Goodman in the Yarra Valley. It is a great example of striking the right balance between oak...