A barrel selection of the very best Chardonnay parcels from the 2010 vintage.
It was fermented entirely with wild yeasts and matured in French oak barriques with battonage for nine months. Our style of Chardonnay has developed significantly over recent years with complex vineyard character coming from less clarified juice and natural yeast.
TASTING NOTES:
Appearance • Brilliant, bright straw with a faint green edge.
Nose • A dramatic and powerful nose that is constantly evolving in the glass. Amongst the descriptors are sublime fragrant citron and baby pineapple,while wild notes of lamb’s fat and struck flint provide a beguiling complexity that lift the floral and spice fruit perfume and frame a stunning Heytesbury Chardonnay nose.
Palate • Super fine, textured and succulent with impeccable balance and poise driven by seamless natural acidity. Juicy white nectarine and preserved lemon puree form a strong fruit core which is embellished with flavours of spicy oak, lanolin and flint. Exhibits that wonderful and rare quality; power with restraint.
WINEMAKER COMMENTS:
Small batches were selected from the finest sections of our best vineyards and clones. Each batch was very gently pressed and the juice then transferred to barriques with the inclusion of some solids to achieve more intense ferment characters and palate weight. Each batch was fermented ‘wild’ with no yeast addition and was stirred throughout the nine months of maturation, allowing the yeast lees to impart further complexity, texture and palate weight to the wine. With bright, natural acidity a priority, no malolactic fermentation was encouraged, though a small amount occured in 2010.
VINTAGE DESCRIPTION:
Moderate spring conditions in 2009 allowed for better flowering and fruit set than experienced in the previous two years. Consistent warmth through January/February ensured ideal ripening conditions.
REGION Margaret River
VARIETIES 100% Chardonnay
HARVESTED Feb / Mar 2010
OAK 100% French oak, 9 months (71% new, 29% 1-2 year old)
TA 6.1g/L PH 3.21
RESIDUAL SUGAR 1.86g/L
ALCOHOL 13.0 %
BOTTLED February 2011CELLARING Drinking beautifully now, will reward cellaring over the next 3-5 years.
