2018 Chardonnay Estate
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Tasting notes
Light, bright yellow. Tangerine, honeydew melon and pungent white flowers on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy and broad on entry and then more taut in the midpalate, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and subtle notes of buttered toast and chamomile. The melon note recurs on the long, mineral-accented finish, which shows excellent clarity and lift.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Estate Chardonnay manages to be ripe and rich while remaining relatively low in alcohol, labeled at 12.8%. Hints of roasted cashews accent honeyed tangerine and peach notes, while the medium-bodied palate is plump yet restrained, with a silky feel and lengthy finish. Already drinking well, it should continue to charm for at least another 4-5 years.
This has a fresh, lively, poached-pear, lemon, hazelnut and praline nose with some gently flinty nuances. The palate has a smooth, yellow-peach edge and a pithy lemon and grapefruit core with attractively sinewy concentration at the finish. Drink over the next five years.
About the producer
Bass Phillip has been quietly making world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Leongatha, South Gippsland, since the 1990s. The estate’s wines were long sold almost exclusively in Australia, meaning that the producer remains relatively little-known beyond its native shores.