2017 Chardonnay Margaret River
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Tasting notes
Hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in stainless steel. The must was transferred to 228-litre French oak barriques (48% new, the remainder second and third use) for full malolactic conversion, after which the wine was racked, blended and returned to barrels for 16 months. Fined and sterile filtered before bottling on 10 August 2018. TA 6.7 g/l, pH 3.12. Evolution shows in an impression of cedarwood, towards linseed; but it's still wonderfully fresh and in balance. The evolution has brought a savoury, lightly toasty quality to the rich fruit. Helps to show how the 2023 might evolve. Deep, chewy and generous. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Brilliant straw. Expansive, smoke- and mineral-tinged orange, Anjou pear and iodine aromas, along with floral and buttered toast accents. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering intense citrus and orchard fruit flavors that pick up vanilla and floral notes with air. Shows repeating florality on the finish, which lingers with superb, mineral-driven tenacity.
Green-golden straw colour. Lightly leesy nose and already approachable. Combination of fresh acidity with a very slight suggestion of popcorn on the fine fruit. Super clean and welcoming but with sufficient freshness to be worth keeping too. (JR)