2016 Heytesbury Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Hand-harvested 30 Jan to 24 Feb 2016. Spontaneous fermentation in barrel with very high solids. Average 519 NTU. Nine months in French oak, 57% new, two months in tank after blending. TA 6.5 g/l, pH 3.17. Bottled February 2017. Much more toasty than the younger vintages and just a little bit honeyed but not at all oxidative. Starting to get a woody/cedary character on the palate, lime and lemon fruit really standing proud over the oak, deep and long and just a little creamy. Less distinctive than 2017 and 2018. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Limpid straw-yellow. Intensely perfumed, mineral- and lees-accented Meyer lemon, pear and melon aromas show excellent clarity and pick up hints of honeysuckle and iodine as the wine stretches out. Displays superb clarity and mineral lift on the palate, offering juicy, smoke-accented nectarine, pear nectar and kumquat flavors that show impressive tension and back-end cut. The mineral quality repeats strongly on the strikingly long, vaguely smoky finish, which leaves behind a sexy floral note. In the context of world-class, ageworthy Chardonnay, which is clearly where this wine should be placed, there's remarkable value here.
Toffee and cream, then a contrastingly bitter fruit element that sets up quite a punchy acidic zip on the finish. Just enough dairy character to add complexity and richness without unbalancing the style. (RH)
The 2016 Heytesbury Chardonnay is a pristine, focused example of the variety as grown in Margaret River. It seems more crystalline and pure, less opulent and showy than previous vintages, although I must confess a bit of ambivalence about that. Pineapple and citrus dominate the nose with just subtle oak shadings (although it's typically 50% or more new). It's medium-bodied in the mouth with a soft, custard-like richness and a silky texture that fades slowly away on the lemon-tinged finish.
About the producer
Vasse Felix was the first winery in Margaret River, founded in 1967. Today, it is one of Western Australia’s – and the New World’s – most respected names, crafting outstanding, cool-climate Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from this remote region, south of Perth.