Toolangi Reserve Chardonnay
This unfiltered Chardonnay was made at Giaconda by Rick Kinzbrunner using traditional techniques. Quite sublime buttery richness with perfect balance of acid and oak integration.
Domaine Laroche Les Chanoines
Domaine Laroche, Les Chanoines Chablis A.C. Michel Laroche is the fifth generation of his family to grow Chardonnay grapes and/or make fine Chardonnay wine in the village where he was born and bred. You could say he has Chablis running in his veins.
La Crema Russian River Chardonnay
Aromas of meyer lemon, nectarine and jasmine. Flavors of yellow plum, dAnjou pear, tangerine and toasted hazelnut. Richly textured, velvety and concentrated with balanced acidity and subtle toast. The fruit was hand-picked, whole cluster pressed and settled for twenty four hours before being racked to barrel for fermentation. Fifteen percent of the lot was co-inoculated with a house strain of malolactic bacteria; these barrels were then used to top the remainder of the lot during post primary fermentation. The lees were stirred 1-2 times per month and the wine was aged for nine months. Over 30 years of experience working with chardonnay and pinot noir have established La Crema as a winery of consistent quality. La Crema produces wines from top cool-climate appellations to include; Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Monterey and most recently Willamette. The unifying factors of all these sites are their cool, windy climates and marine-based soils. La Crema's vineyards are all harvested by hand in the cooler morning hours. The winemaking techniques are primarily traditional with modern enhancements to ensure that the wines are true to both the variety and the terroir. Chardonnays are whole-cluster pressed and fermented and aged in French oak on the lees with bi-monthly battonage to add texture and complexity. The Pinot Noirs are cold soaked for five to eight days before fermentation in small, open-top fermenters and aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels. As with the Chardonnay, La Crema's Pinot Noirs are pure, accurate and reflective of their origin. Outstanding vineyard sources, limited yields and artisanal wine making produce wines that receive high acclaim.
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay
The citrus rind and grapefuit lead the palate to an overall fine yet textural journey. Cape Mentelle Chardonnay had this distinctive minerally line too, apparent with focussed refreshing acidity. Faint nuancesof soft nougat and cashews also add to what is a harmonious balance and an elegant and length finish.
Brown Brothers Patricia Shiraz
Named after Patricia Brown, the Patricia Shiraz is Brown Brothers benchmark Shiraz boasting richly concentrated, spicy fruit flavours balanced elegantly by sweet oak flavours and fine tannins resulting in a full-bodied, rich, textured red wine which can be enjoyed now and will continue to develop for the next decade.
McHenry Hohnen Burnside Chardonnay
McHenry Hohnen is the quintessential family owned business with Murry McHenry and David Hohnen being brothers-in-law and the winemaking now being handled by David's son-in-law Ryan Walsh. With decades of Western Australian winemaking and selling history behind David and Murray the wines being produced are of utmost purity and subtlety. The Burnside Chardonnay is a relative recent addition to the range and is a funky, wild little number with attractive stone fruit characters that are balanced by a beautiful natural acidity.
Felton Road Bannockburn Chardonnay
This winery retains its cult status by continually producing wines of poise, class and adhering to strict biodynamic principals. The Bannockburn Chardonnay is at this stage pert and linear, with floral and citrus notes. It will take a little time for this little gem to begin to give up its secrets.
Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay
Petaluma Chardonnay
A complex array of melon fig and cashew aromas is followed by a typically elegant and subtle palate with beautifully integrated oak. Petaluma had set a benchmark in Australian Chardonnay.
Sidewood Mappinga Chardonnay
Medium straw in colour this wine by Sidewood displays lifted white peach, fig, pear and pistachio nuts on the nose. This barrel fermented Adelaide Hills Chardonnay offers superbly structured characters. It is tight and lean, laced with citrus lime and tropical fruit characters. Some lovely subtle complexities from careful oak maturation on lees include nutmeg, sage spice and pistachio flavours which linger on the after taste. A lovely crisp wine now, that will benefit from some short term cellaring once bottled. Serve with Asian style broth, mushroom based dishes or Lobster bisque is a great match to this Chardonnays complexity in flavour, but finesse in structure.