Reviewed 21st September 2014
It was great to see the Patterson’s Vineyard name appearing on the label of the 3 Drops Chardonnay. The Patterson family produced excellent wines for years under their own label, before selling the business for personal reasons (situated in the Mt Barker region).
The Wynns Chardonnay is a continuation of the excellent value wines produced under this label (Dan Murphy has the 2012 listed for $12!).
Reviewed
Domaine Jean Monnier & Fils – Chardonnay – Meursault – Les Chevalieres – 2010 (17.7 – 18.2). Smells like fine burgundy. Minerals and steely fruit, with grapefruit and lemon zest over white peach. Whilst quite restrained, the power of the fruit is impressive, with all of the minerality that you would expect. There is real depth here and great length. The palate fans out finishing with complex, mealy notes and hints of toast. Super wine to drink now. (RRP $60).
Victory Point – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.5 – 18). A smart wine, in a chablis-like style. Not overly intense in the mid palate, but has all the minerality and complex struck-match/barrel-ferment characters that you would expect from a quality wine. The length of flavour is a feature. A smart wine to be drunk over the next few years. (RRP $45).
Cape Mentelle – Chardonnay – 2013 (17.8). A modern, elegant style that has quite a complex, and quietly powerful nose, showing peach and grapefruit-like characters. Mid-weight, with high quality fruit, this has excellent presence in the mouth. Not overly complex as yet, but well handled in the winery. A serious wine that needs time to show its best. (RRP $46).
Talisman – Chardonnay – Gabrielle – 2012 (17.8). Wow, the nose here is impactful. Peach, stonefruit, grapefruit, minerals, spice, complex flint and struck-match notes. The palate is near seamless and very complex. Everything is in the right place. Yes, this is a powerful, worked wine, yet it retains freshness and poise. Excellent length of flavours with a touch of toasted oak to close.
3 Drops – Chardonnay – 2012 (17.5+). This is quite tart right now, but will be a very good wine in time. Lively, lemony, long, fresh and complex, the fruit builds depth with air. The fruit for this wine comes from the old Patterson’s Vineyard, which produced some excellent wines in earlier times.
Henri Boillot – Chardonnay – Bourgogne – 2012 (17.4). Tight and restrained, with quite serious fruit that has been well handled. This is a more restrained style, with acidity and subtle oak driving the finish.
Wynns – Chardonnay – 2014 (17.3). Lovely, perfumed nose with scents of orange blossom, over crisp stonefruit and hints of passionfruit. The palate is pure grapefruit, with the youthful acidity providing focus. Linear now, but in time this will fill out. Good Value.