2021 Reserve Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Gingin clone. A single vineyard planted in 1981 on free-draining gravelly loams (Lagan Estate). Hand-picked between 16 and 25 February. Whole-bunch pressed followed by 100% barrel fermentation in select French oak (28% new). Fermentation was spontaneous. Barrels were lees-stirred throughout a nine-month maturation period, without any malolactic conversion. TA 8.9 g/l, pH 3.04. A touch of oak sweetness and spice at first, till the citrus and melon fruit emerge. A fine balance between extremely high acidity (NB no malo) and lovely creamy texture. Pure, concentrated and long. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Fermented and aged for 9 months in French oak (28% new). Tight fruit which is very savoury after the bombastic style of the Domaine Naturaliste Artus. Long, chewy texture. Pure, bright fruit. (RH)
The 2021 Reserve Chardonnay is concentrated and creamy. The fruit is spearheaded by white peach and crushed cashews, red apple skins and a javelin of acidity that sails through it all. Coasting along, as it does in the mouth, the wine presents an unbroken stream of flavor and streamlined phenolics. It is tight, taut and a little tense at this stage, but the shimmer of exhaust through the finish shows power, persistence and pedigree. The three "p's." It's delicate, in its way. Super wine. Yippee. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
The finely woven and acid-driven 2021 Chardonnay Reserve is pristine and precise, with a compact form of grapefruit and nectarine aromas lifted by touches of chalk and almond meal complexity. A bolt of acidity drives a strong line of sherbet and citrus, the whole package wound tight, lean and long. The 2021 is unashamedly built for the cellar.