Soumah Hexham Chardonnay
Of all the premium white wines we sampled last year; it was the Soumah Hexham Chardonnay that rose to the top. This top class Yarra Valley Chardonnay features the perfect amount of oak and a moreish creaminess. Produced from small single vineyard plantings in the Warramate foothills of the Yarra Valley, Soumah Hexham Chardonnay is brilliant now but patience will be rewarded if cellared up to 5 years if you can keep your hands off it that long. One of the real movers and shakers of the industry in recent times, Soumah is without a doubt one to keep a very close eye on. This is a super complex and extremely alluring example. Produced from small single vineyard plantings in the Warramate foothills of the Yarra Valley, outstanding fruit quality works hand in hand with barrel derived complexities. This complexity around a mid to full bodied core lends its self just perfectly to seafood with the traditional butter sauce accompaniment.
Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay
The Piccadilly Valley welcomed the Croser family back into the Tapanappa Winery with a typical cool weather vintage of exemplary quality. Stone fruit, honeydew and lemon zest, with spicy cedar oak in support. Medium bodied, tangy lemony acidity, almond and spice, firm and flinty finish. Its a wine of structure and coiled up power. Good now, but ideally needs a couple of years in the winerack.
Mt Jagged Honey Myrtle Chardonnay
Fragrant peach perfumes flow off the luxurious bouquet of this Chardonnay, effortlessly shifting to a smooth palate laden with apricot, nectarine and creamy macadamia. The finish is buttery and toasty.
Domaine René Lardet Saint-Véran Champ Rond
From families which have been wine growers for 7 generations, Andrée and René Thibert created their own domaine in the heart of the village of Fuissé in 1967. Inspired and encouraged by their parents, Sandrine and Christophe have now taken over the management of the domaine which covers 29 hectares. The vineyards are sustainably managed to respect the soils and the vine plants. Intense bouquet, delicate, charming, with notes of citrus and flowers. The wine has all the typical opulence and elegance of a Saint-Véran, with a back taste of fresh citrus and fine minerality.
Dormilona Clayface Chardonnay
Atticus Premium Museum Chardonnay
Hand Picked Gin Gin clone, the balance of fruit, oak, acidity is so immaculate it is a pointless exercise to try to deconstruct their contributions. However the white peach and pink grapefruit flavours are as clear as a bell on the back palate and aftertaste, the finish fresh and clean. Masterful winemaking
Byron & Harold Chardonnay
2020 A mild 2020 spring with reasonable rainfall provided excellent growing conditions. A wet November followed by a warm and dry December and January set the vines for up for a regular season.However wet and humid conditions in February created an unusual vintage with extreme weather. As a result, the 2021 vintage required extra work and attention to detail in the vineyard. The final wines show incredible flavour at lower Baume’s with bright natural acidity. Great fruit purity and varietal expression.
Forester Estate Margaret River Georgette Sparkling Brut
Palate - Light and delicate with a tight, fine line of acidity, leading to a long focused palate with a creamy texture. Rich autolysis characters of brioche and nougat lead the way with hints of citrus, almond, fennel and hay. This refreshing wine has a long, dry, crisp finish. Winemaking The Chardonnay fruit is gently pressed off skins with a series of press fractions going to separate holding tanks for later assessment. The juice is settled bright and fermented cold with a neutral yeast strain in stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation takes place, so as to obtain a finer, tighter acid structure. The wine was then bottled on the 23rd of May 2019 with a dose of active yeast and sugar (known as ‘tirage’) to encourage the secondary ferment. The bottle ferment lasts approximately six weeks after which the tirage sparkling wine rests in storage for four years gaining complexity from contact with the yeast lees. When deemed to be balanced and with sufficient autolysis character, we send the bottles for riddling and disgorging where the yeast plug is removed and the cork inserted. This wine was disgorged on the 7th of July 2020. Storage/Bottling - The unique nature of this sparkling wine is that bottling occurs as part of the winemaking process early in the wine’s life. In the case of the Georgette, the final disgorging and packaging process occurs four years after the wine is first put to bottle. Heavy grade sparkling glass, stylish labeling and the traditional white hood of the Forester brand complete the elegant package.
Devil's Lair Estate Margaret River Chardonnay
Lovely vibrancy and elegance aromas. This Devils Lair Chardonnay has primary aromas of nectarine, melon and citrus. Subtle notes of roasted hazelnut and nougat are intertwined creating a layered and complex wine with great purity. The palate is classic powerful Margaret River, white stone fruit dominates the palate with a vibrant core of citrus and pink grapefruit pith. Delicate use of oak and gentle lees stirring adds a subtle creaminess that overlays a textural and richly flavoured wine. With a unique combination of climate, geography and geology, Devil’s Lair celebrates wines of great clarity, delicacy of fruit and elegant structure. The philosophy of Devil’s Lair is to make wines that define the region, respect the variety and above all, make complex, interesting wines. Devils Lair 2017 Chardonnay was hand harvested in early March from selected south easterly facing blocks at the Devils Lair Vineyard. A cool fermentation in French oak barrels was followed by occasional stirring on lees for 9 months. A wine of great vibrancy, layers and flavour. It is brilliant drinking now or over the next 10+ years. Limited Stock, Select stores only.