I'm still so surprised with the amount of people I speak to who avoid Chardonnay at all costs. The 80's ruined a lot of things for us; I'll never be able to look at a perm, or legwarmer's the same again after the 80's, and it seems Chardonnay has fallen within the same bad-taste category. It simply isn't true though!!
Modern Chardonnay has all of the components we look for in a good white wine. There is freshness, acidity, balance, minerality and outright easy drinking wine. If you are a Chardonnay lover, or perhaps someone a little curious to dip their toe back in the Chardonnay pond, this number from Oxford Landing is a fabulous example of just what a contemporary Chardonnay can do. There is no imbalanced flabbiness or over wrought oak characteristics, the wine is lean, fresh and most importantly, delicious!
An inspired golden colour with bright green hues, the 2013 Oxford Landing Estates Chardonnay offers vibrant hints of recently trimmed white peach, soft citrus and honeydew melon. There are promises of creamy nougat, nutmeg and cinnamon spice on the nose, which adds a complexity to the bouquet. The wine displays a delightfully smooth texture, with fundamental white stone fruits and fresh citrus flavours on the end notes. A delicate, velvety grain is the result of gradual lees stirring during fermentation, and leaves a wonderfully soft talc like finish to the mouth. This is a crisp, clean wine with persistent and tantalising mineral acidity.
"Generous and fresh with musk and peach/nectarine flavours aplenty. A ball of sunny, chardonnay flavour but not overdone or over the top." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
"Bright green-straw; as always Oxford Landing manages to conjure that little bit extra; the stone fruit is there, as is the citrus and acidity to cleanse the finish. Best right now." - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion.
Don't Pay: $15.00
WBW Rating: 92/100
Closure: Stelvin
Region: South Australia
Winemaker: Andy La Nauze
Drink now until: 2018
Alc/Vol: 13 %