Reviews

2015 Vintage: 91 Points, James Halliday - The Wine Companion
"Oak has played its part in forming this chardonnay; it has the layered depth of Margaret River, with stone fruit, rock melon and fig to the fore, citrus on the fringes and in the acidity."

From The Winery

Colour: Bright and brilliant with a pale green

Aroma: Citrus, melon and nectarine fruits overlaid with subtle notes of dried herbs, freshly toasted spices and tropical fruit notes from wild barrel fermentation on solids.

Palate: Bright, fresh and long with lovely flavour intensity. Subtle textural and savoury elements from wild fermentation on solids adds complexity and the stamp of house style.

The growing season started off with textbook conditions. However, the storms at the end of the spring meant that the yield was lower than average. The following mild summer conditions helped retain grape acids and minimised phenolic in the white varieties whilst maximising their aromatic and flavour intensity. The slow even rate of ripening meant harvest decisions were very precise with the result being exceptionally balanced juices and wines.

The grapes were carefully harvested in the cold of the night. This gentle handling of the cold grapes and juice is critical to our unique style of Metricup Road Chardonnay.Two thirds of the Chardonnay underwent wild fermentation in French oak barrels. The remaining third underwent fermentation in tank on solids using a selected yeast strain. All batches remained on yeast lees for 10 months. Select barrels were then blended and the final blend was stabilized and filtered only once prior to bottling and bottle maturation.