2021 Reserve Chardonnay

Wonderful season in the Yarra Valley, so little surprise that a wine of this class emerges. It’s sourced from two vineyards – at Yering Station and Coldstream and naturally fermented in 500L French oak puncheons. The power of the Mendoza clone is immediately evident on the nose and reinforced on the palate with beautiful floral notes and a savoury element bringing complexity. The palate combines elegance and refinement with the power of that Mendoza clone, delivering to a super long palate. Exceptional wine.

An average vine age of 20 years. A bright green gold. With its aromas of white peach, tangerine oil, some toasted hazelnuts and a little vanilla bean, this has immediate appeal. Equally engaging on the gently fleshy, impeccably balanced and very long palate. A wine to drink and enjoy now and over the next five to seven years. PR 13% alc.

Complex and lifted aromas of grapefruit pith, nougat, just-ripe white stone fruit, grilled nuts, white flowers and wet stone. There’s plenty going on here. Opulently flavoured, rich and multi-faceted. There’s a pure drive of citrus and stone fruit along with mealy, nutty oak and punchy, shapely acidity. Lovely weight, texture and length. A very complete chardonnay.

Whole bunch pressed and fermented in 500L puncheons, matured in barrel on gross lees for nine months and a further five months in tank. Ripe jackfruit, lemon curd and baked apple danish. Peach cobbler, honeysuckle and creamy custard apple. Hazelnut skin, crushed candlenut and kernel. The wine flows effortlessly and the subtle, savoury nuances of nut brittle shine through. The extended lees work creates a rich milky texture and a veil of fine acidity keeps the wine agile and persistent. It’s a wine woven with patience, care and an eye for design. Drinking well now but will benefit from some years in the cellar. Open and pour into your finest white burgundy glasses to enjoy with an
expertly made potato gratin and shaved cod roe.

A top wine from a top Yarra Valley vintage. Aromas of cool climate, pristine fruit on show, all bright and lemony, white spring flowers flowing with quince and almond bread. A mere youngster but a precocious one of surprising depth. You can imagine some smart, future bottle development lies ahead. Stony, slatey acidity is a driver, brisk and clean. Tight coils of lemon, grapefruit, green apple, lemon drop and almond appear in unison with a developing textural mouthfeel. Lemon verbena with a whisper of wild savoury notes kicking in, enliven the finish. Clean cut, precise and classic in style.

From two parcels, whole bunch pressed into 500 litre French oak puncheons for fermentation, partially wild. 20% of the oak was new with no malo and nine months in barrel on lees, before a further five months in tank. Shimmering green/gold hue, with a beautifully appealing nose – stonefruit, white peaches, florals, riverstones and the merest whiff of nuts. Superb fruit here with quality oak and the integration proceeding apace. Seamless and balanced, with a persistent finish and hint of nougat on the palate. A wonderfully elegant Chardy with intensity to drink over the next six to eight years, the score will surely creep even higher in the coming years.

Baked peach pie. A touch of lemon zest. Mouth-watering flavours. Great intensity and energy.

Pristine and elegant wine, with a high toned nose showing scents of green melon, yellow and green fruits and floral undertones. Precise and textural, long.

Complex vanilla, apricot aromas with flinty notes. Fresh lemon curd, stone fruit flavours, fine chalky textures attractive mid-pale volume and integrated acidity. Classically structured wine.

There is a greater reliance on ambient yeast for this bottling than the rest of the estate. Blazing aromas of nectarine, mandarin peel and spiced oatmeal from lees handling, compressed by some match-struck reduction and a curb of nicely positioned oak, galvanizing the myriad of flavors into a long, impressive finish. Screw cap. Drink or hold.