Chardonnay
Single Variety
Clare Valley 51% / Adelaide Hills 49%
At release the wine is a very pale straw colour with a youthful green hue.
The wine has intense lifted aromas of melon and lime with hints of stone fruits. There are underlying tropical notes of green pineapple and guava and subtle secondary characters of flint, cedar and spice.
On the palate the wine delivers well-balanced and evenly distributed fruit flavours of classic melon and peach along with underlying creamy notes from the lees stirring. Texturally, it has a retrained, tight structure overall and yet still displays a measure of subtle creaminess to the mid palate and rewards with well integrated oak. The Clare Valley parcel delivers mid palate fleshiness whilst the Adelaide Hills component contributes the restraint and elegance that are typical of this region. Overall, the wine has a great palate line with length which lingers long after the wine is consumed.
In the Clare Valley, the growing season in the lead up to vintage 2015 saw slightly higher than average amounts of rainfall initially and then very little fell, making it the driest ever August recorded at the estate. These conditions were conducive to frost and there were 14 events recorded. The first evidence of budburst appeared in the last week of August which is relatively normal. Rainfall for spring was well below average, with further frost events recorded during this time. Not only was the spring weather extremely dry, it was also warm and windy. These conditions led to higher evapotranspiration (water loss), and despite our significant irrigation effort during October and November, still had a detrimental impact on flowering with resultant bunch numbers down on average. December and January were relatively mild, with rain falling during the second week of January. The moisture was a welcome relief after such a dry spring and the white varieties on the estate responding well for both yield and quality. In the Adelaide Hills, the 2015 growing season featured some unseasonal weather patterns. Rainfall over winter was generally above average for the region although unseasonably dry conditions prevailed from August onwards. Flowering was extremely early with Chardonnay flowering in late October. Extreme heat in early January resulted in a devastating bushfire in the Sampson Flat Area, which burnt through 12,500 hectares in total with 35 ha of vineyards damaged in the region. Fortunately the fire occurred before vines had entered veraison, so smoke taint was not an issue. There was then a large rainfall event mid-January which helped reduce the risk of further fires for the region. Despite it being one of the driest growing seasons on record, the majority of the region produced above average fruit with high natural acid and excellent flavour profiles. The winemakers agree that the wines from the 2015 vintage will be among the best from this region for some time, with excellent acid balance and perfectly developed flavours and colours.
Crafted for immediate enjoyment but will cellar over a medium term under ideal conditions.
14.00%
6.96
3.30
2.60
Single: 750ml bottle, Case: 6 x 750ml bottle
