From the Winery

Dry, flinty and highly textural with outstanding length.

The cool climate in Tasmania is perfectly suited to the production of the elegant Spring Vale Chardonnay that balances pristine fruit with a crisp natural acidity. The nose on this wine shows an intriguing mix of citrus blossom, jasmine and struck flint. The initial supple texture on the palate becomes focused toward a finish that weaves freshly zested lemon with a minerally tannin and refreshing acidity. This finely structured Chardonnay will age gracefully but also drinks exceptionally well now if you match with Cajun dusted East Coast flathead fillet or slow cooked pork belly!

Winemaking Notes

Chardonnay vines were first planted at Spring Vale in 1990. For the 2016 vintage the vine growth was nicely balanced with a healthy crop of chardonnay fruit that was ripened by a warm summer with a good dose of late January rain.

Flavour development began very early and acid levels softened at lower grape sugars than usual. The decision was made to pick over two days in mid-March, during which the fruit was destemmed and pressed with the resulting juice clarified by floatation.

The juice was then decanted into a selection of premium tight grained French barrels along with a couple of new 500L French puncheons for primary fermentation. Four weeks later half of the wine was transferred to tank and chilled while the remaining barrels underwent malolactic fermentation in our warm room. This allows us to balance the crisp acidity of the chilled portion with the textured palate of the malo barrels.

Final blending took place in early June then the wine was stabilised, minimally fined and filtered through the cross flow to be ready for bottling. Total production in this vintage of the Spring Vale Chardonnay was 1170 dozen.

Reviews

91 Points - Mike Bennie, Wine Front
"Whiffs of pineapple, green apple, tinned corn, tangy citrus. Gets the chardonnay thing happening from first sniff. Juicy and clear in the palate, just a lick of denser texture, finishes crisp and with green apple tang. The juiciness and brightness of flavour is really appealing, there’s a faint suggestion of nuttiness too. Easy and pleasing."