Past Vintages

Technical Details

 "A lively wine in the modern style; partial new French oak barrel-fermented with multiple yeast strains and 6 months on lees has created the complexity sought. To 2014. Rating 89 pts."

Reprinted with permission from the 2012 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion

"Good defined Chardonnay nose with a hint of something I couldn’t place (no need to make up a smell) it was there and very alluring a full style but not fat and flabby all worked well from beginning to end 93 points and very good value at $19 "

Tony Keys, Key Review of Wine No 36, June 2011

"Lovely, delicate wine with a buttered popcorn nose and a steely edge to the sweet palate."

Winestate Magazine, McLaren Vale & Fleurieu tasting, July / August 2011

"Excellent example of the variety, with its nutty / figgy / nougat nose and layers of roasted nuts and grapefruit flavours. 3 1/2 stars"

Winestate Chardonnay & Blends Tasting, March / April 2011

Winemaking

The Chardonnay fruit is harvested in the cool of the night and the free run juice quickly separated from the skins. The juice is naturally cold settled (using no enzyme) and racked to ferment. 50% of the wine completes a steady fermentation at 12-18ºC (54-65ºF) in stainless steel. The balance is fermented in new, fine grained French oak hogsheads and is lees stirred weekly during barrel maturation. This regime along with the addition of a portion of the juice that is fermented in barrel with indigenous yeast, adds complexity and a creamy texture to the palate.

Tasting note

Light straw in colour, with a hint of green. Only the best McLaren Vale free run Chardonnay is used to create this delicate and well balanced wine. Primary aromas of grapefruit, peach stone and pear are highlighted with notes of minerality and roasted nuts. Flavours of lemon, white peach and honeydew melon fill the mid-palate and linger on the long finish of this textured and full-bodied white wine. With partial barrel fermentation, the use of multiple strains of yeast and 6 months on lees in new French oak, a creamy, cashew like complexity enhances the stone fruit and citrus flavours.