Franklin Tate Estates Traditional Chardonnay
The Tate family are one of the most famous wine names in Western Australia, especially in Margaret River. It was the Tate family who began Evans & Tate decades ago and today the Tate name is re-born under the Franklin Tate Estates label. Franklin, son of John, has sourced some of the most prestigious vineyard sites in Margaret River and has highly regarded winemaker Rory Clifton-Parks to hand-craft the quality wines, like this traditional Chardonnay.
Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay
Franco DAnna is an absolue perfectionist from vineyard to bottle. This is a fantastic example of rich, powerful Chardonnay.In the glass: Pale lemon.On the nose: Ruby grapefruit, apple, peach and cashew. On the palate: Powerful and layered with a solid core of white and yellow fruit, nutty complexity, creamy texture, a subtle salty hint, racy acidity and lovely savoury oak support.
Airlie Bank Gris On Skins
Picked from a block of gris on the Napoleone Vineyard in the Yarra Valley which is nurtured to hang a touch longer, with better tannin maturity than the fruit picked for the Punt Road Pinot Gris. Whole berry and whole bunch ferments are conducted in isolation in one-tonne open pots. They were pressed separately to oak this year, but in the end both went in their entirety into the blend. The bunch ferments developed a very significant funk this year, and it was good to see this in the finished wine. The berry ferments supply musk flavour and fruit sweetness. Its all about the bunch though: Campari, aniseed and kombucha. Unfined and minimally filtered. The perfect companion in Spring or Summer.
Payten + Jones Yarra Valley Vignerons Chardonnay
Little bit of old school Vs new school Chardonnay here. Chardonnay that tastes like Chardonnay. Nice and textured with generosity while still being fresh. A ripping acid line that brings it all together. This is a Tuesday night in a glass kind of Chardonnay, did someone say Nannas roast chicken?