-
97
/ 100
Sam Kim -
95
/ 100
Erin Larkin -
92
/ 100
Ken Gargett – Winepilot.com
White
Classification
Chardonnay
Variety
2022
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Australia
Country
Western Australia, Margaret River
Region
13.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
97 / 100"Gracefully opulent and immensely complex, the wine shows ripe stone fruit, lemon peel, vanilla and cedary oak characters with a hint of brioche nuance. The palate offers power as well as focus, displaying richly textured mouthfeel backed by refreshing acidity. Wonderful presence in the mouth with a superbly long, expansive finish."
- Sam Kim
95 / 100
"Fruit from the Calgardup Road vineyard, whole clusters, fermented in barrel, matured for 10 months in French oak, regular bâtonnage. Restrained, sophisticated, and with a line of saline acid that streaks down the side of the fruit (like a black striped minnow). This is long and sophisticated, with great flavour concentration. It feels effortless, and that is in line with what we have come to expect from the 2020 vintage in the context of Margaret River whites"
- Erin Larkin
92 / 100
"One of those Chardonnays you just know is going to look even better down the track. If patience is not your thing, lots to love now, but if you hold off then any time over the next five to six years, you’ll have something a bit special. A shining lemon hue, at the moment, with notes of spices, cashews, bergamot, melon and stonefruit and notable oak integration. There is focus, length and balance here too, with good intensity never wavering. Impressive so do try and put at least a few bottles away. You will not regret it."
- Ken Gargett – Winepilot.com
Tasting Notes
The fruit for this Blackwood Chardonnay is hand-harvested at first light and whole- cluster pressed straight to ferment in carefully selected Burgundian French Oak barriques, 35% of which are new. Natural solids are retained and incorporated into the juice so as to harness and express every bit of aromatic, textural and structural character. After a long cool ferment, the wine is aged over light lees for a further 10 months in French Oak, 40% of which were new, with fortnightly bâttonage adding to inherent textural weight and palate concentration. After aging the wine is blended, lightly fined and filtered before bottling.
Aromas of lavender, pistachio, toasted walnut, stonefruit and white pepper greet the nose. On the palate, the wine speaks of mandarin pith, lychee, yellow peach and red apple skins. The phenolics are very fine and shapely. Overall, this is a classy and gently toasty chardonnay of poise and restraint
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity