2014 Vasse Felix Chardonnay Heytesbury
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Tasting notes
A 'text-book vintage in Margaret River', according to Vasse Felix. Hand-harvested 11–19 Feb 2014 and whole-bunch pressed Spontaneous fermentation in barrel with very high solids. Average 590 NTU. Nine months in French oak, 64% new, two months in tank after blending. TA 6.75 g/l, pH 3.19. Bottled February 2015. Quite smoky on the nosy but smells so young. No honey, all crushed stones with a hint of cedar and herbs. A perfect demonstration of cool minerality balanced by creamy texture. Hard to believe this is 2014. It has a richness of texture that pairs perfectly with the underlying if no longer primary fruit weight and ripeness. Struck-match aftertaste. Silky and scented by that smoky/stony quality more than by the fruit, though the fruit is the anchor. (JH)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,337 g. Screwcap. NASSA-certified organic. A blend of fruit from her top vineyards. 60% new oak. When tasted alongside of the Heytesbury 2019, the most striking thing is how little this cuvée has aged in eight years. The almonds on the '19 nose are more like hazelnuts on the '14 – more phenolic, more gutsy. The salt and limes of the younger wine soften into quinine and satsuma; the sharp-angled geometry yielding ever so slightly into dodecahedral almost-curves. In both wines, the story thread of jasmine, lapsang, cumin spice and greengage fruit persists, but in the '14, the story is told with a voice that lulls instead of commands, and the satin texture turns to antique linen – more defined weft and weave, tiny spaces appearing through which there is more breathing space. The wine is still sharply defined, still as youthful as ever, and still comes back to, this ramrod spine of pewter-pure minerality, but it offers a softness in the palm of its out-stretched hand. (TC)
The 2014 Heytesbury Chardonnay starts off with scents of struck match and scorched bread, then delivers attractive, fleshy notes of Golden Delicious apples and ripe melons wrapped around a core of lively tangerine and lime. It's medium to full-bodied, with a long, savory finish. Right in the heart of its drinking prime, it should be drunk up over the next couple of years.
Light note of struck-match on the nose but with lovely citrus and green fruit richness on the palate to keep the winemaking in the background. Tangy, toasty with notes of green fruit and orange on the finish. Classy and long. Classic Heytesbury. Worth every penny. (JH)
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.