Category Archives: Chardonnay – Wine Reviews

Aged White Wines

Whites – Mixed

Reviewed: 10 February 2011

With Summer in full swing, our group embarked on a tasting of quality whites that were a few years old. We ended up with an eclectic selection of (very) high quality wines.

Reviewed

Bruno Sorg – Riesling – Pfersigberg – Grand Cru – 2003 (17.5). Lovely oily texture, a hint of residual sugar and fresh acid makes for a lovely wine. Has a hint of floral notes and the very creamy, high quality oak rounds out the finish. Smart, seamless and beautifully crafted. From Alsace.

Clairault – Chardonnay – 2006 (17.3). Perfectly ripe fruit on the nose with pineapple overtones. The oak is evident on the palate, though there are some tropical fruit notes underneath. Opens with air, developing butterscotch and stonefruit. Gets better and will settle further with age.

Moss Wood – Chardonnay – 2004 (17.8). Seamless and beautifully balanced, this is a superb wine. The texture and mouth-feel are spot on and the finish is near seamless. The quality oak merely caresses the finish on the close and the length is driven by the elegant fruit.

Leasingham – Riesling – Classic Clare – 2005 (17.7). Lovely riesling that is fresh, lively, floral, vibrant, seamless, long and intense. This is a very fine wine of real class. Excellent length. Is showing the first signs of age, but is still very youthful.

Sonoma Cutrer – Chardonnay – Russian River Ranchs – 2008 (17.8). Another superb wine. This is a richer style with plenty of quality winemaking inputs. Think creamy oak, lees stirring and (partial?) malo-lactic fermentation. Again, the mendoza clone is evident, but the pineapple fruit characters are well handled. There are plenty of stonefruit notes and almond to close.

Domain Emilan Gillet – Chardonnay – Quintaine – Vire-Clesse – 2002 (18.2). Very interesting wine. Superb palate with great length. It is the exhilarating acid that makes the finish so memorable. Lemon brullee, texture and spice on a palate that builds and evolves. Excellent chablis with minerals to burn. At its peak.

Domaine Chandon De-Brialles – Chardonnay – Corton – Grand Cru – 2005 (18). Very creamy nose, this wine is a highlight. Intense and powerful, there is still a degree of restraint. Superb fruit, the wine really builds and is classically structured. The minerality on the palate is superb.

Penfolds – Chardonnay – Bin 06A – 2006 (17.5+). Wow. Amazing wine. Young and fresh, the high quality fruit and oak are evident, but not integrated. Has a long future, but needs five to ten years to peak.

Alain Gautheron – Chardonnay – Chablis – Vaucaupin – 1er Cru – 2005 (18.3). A superb wine here. Very tight and fresh, this is a seamless version of fine burgundy. Refined, this is delicate and very fine. Needs years, but enjoyable now. Amazing Chablis.

Rene Lequin-Colin – Chardonnay – Batard-Montrachet – Grand Cru – 2002 (18). Honeyed, long and rich, this is a developed but delightful wine of class and pedigree.

Heidi Schrock – Welsch Riesling/Pinot Gri/Pinot Blanc/Chardonnay – Ruster Ausbruch – 2005 (18.5). Apricot to the fore on the nose, this is really rich and enticing. Wow, immensely intense, yet beautifully balanced and refined. Botrytis to the fore, but the balance is special. Superb!

Guiraut – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Saturnes – 1er Cru – 1997 (18). Very cold. Pungent and raisin-like on the nose, this is a less mainstream and less sweet style that is refreshing yet spicy. As it warms, this opens to show viscosity and texture. Shows lots of almond meal and cashew with air. Delicious.

Le Mont – Chenin Blanc – Vouvray – Molleux – 1997 (17.5). Bread dough and a touch of ferment notes. Shines on the palate with great line and length. This is a very precise wine, that is aged and long. Complex, this really builds in the mouth. Drying finish, this is a delicate wine that shows spice to close. Won’t appeal to everyone, but worth trying.

Castagnia – Viognier – Aqua Santa – NV (17.7). Complex and deve

Chardonnay, Pinot and Rose

New Release

Reviewed: 15 February 2012

Is it just me or are wineries releasing their wines earlier and earlier? Many of the wines reviewed here need a year or two to show their best. If you are drinking them young, don’t serve them too cold and give them time in the glass to open up.

There were also a few good value pinot noirs.

Reviewed

Rose

Chene Bleu – Grenache/Shiraz – Rose – 2009 (16.5). Lovely pale salmon colour. Savoury, dry and refreshing, this has nice mouth-feel and texture. Good length and a touch of oiliness on the finish adds interest. This is a smart wine that will suit antipasto well.

Poudriere – Rose – Bastide Du Claux – 2010 (16.9). Very pale colour to what is a very pretty wine. Dry and refreshing, this has some lovely red berries on the palate with a savoury finish. Good mouth-feel and weight with a hint of oak influence perhaps?

Chardonnay

Howard Park – Chardonnay – 2009 (18+). Deeper colour here. Tight and lean on the nose, showing white peach, citrus and hints of honey and toast. The power and quality of the fruit really comes through on the palate. This is complex and very intense, with rich stonefruit notes over a textured, complex finish. The vanillin oak and buttery lees notes complement the fruit very well. A serious wine of real power, this will delight over the next 5 years. From the Great Southern.

Singlefile Estate – Chardonnay – Family Reserve – 2010 (17.9+). A tighter style that works really well. This is elegant and long, showing grapefruit, peach and nectarine on the palate. Quality oak adds complexity to the finish. Pineapple acid adds to the finish as does a touch of mineral and struck match. This got even better with a day on the tasting bench.

Deep Woods – Chardonnay – 2011 (17.5+). Subdued and tight, this is seamless and silky in the mouth. An unusual wine in that no features define the wine, but it is very enjoyable. An elegant wine with a touch of musk to close. Will take a couple of years to hit its straps and fill out.

Yering Station – Chardonnay – Village – 2010 (17.2). Compared to the Howard Park, this is delicate and refined. A precise wine with hints of citrus and nectarine over a creamy finish. Very well made, the gentle oak and lees contact really adds to the package. Good length too. One panellist noted that the wine was very well made, using the fruit to best effect.

Hill-Smith Estate – Chardonnay – Eden Valley – 2010 (17). Complex, creamy nose, with an appealing minerality on top. Powerful fruit on the palate that has been massaged with some skill in the winery. Quality oak is a bit obvious now, but should settle, as the wine integrates well with air.

Yering Station – Chardonnay – Little Yering – 2010 (16.9). Well made, if uncomplicated wine with varietally correct fruit characters and enough winemaking inputs to flesh out the palate. Easy drinking and enjoyable.

The Arm Chair Critic – Chardonnay – Over & Under – 2010 (16.5). This received good support with the panel appreciating the good length and pretty fruit that had grapefruit overtones. Will be better in another year or so and should represent good value.

Pinot Noir

St Huberts – Pinot Noir – 2010 (17 – 17.5). Delicate fruit on the nose. The palate hints at strawberry. This is very well made and quite silky, while the textural components add life to the mid palate. Very good length, this needs 5 years to show its best. Great to see a wine of this quality under this label.

Yering Station – Pinot Noir – Village – 2010 (17.3). Fresh, vibrant and appealing wine. There are hints of cherry and plenty of spice, with good length and a touch of complexity on the finish. This actually builds nicely in the mouth, suggesting that a few years would see it improve. Develops fleshy fruit of real appeal with air. Cherry and spice to close.

Mad Fish – Pinot Noir – Grand Stand – 2010 (17.2). A bigger style with immediate appeal. There is lovely cherry fruit with hints of plum and aniseed on the finish. In fact, there is a touch of fresh fennel and star anise. This is lush and velvety in the mouth and oh so easy to drink. Not that complex, but who cares.

Yering Station – Pinot Noir – Little Yering – 2010 (16.7). Some appeal here. This is a straightforward, slightly sappy wine that would suit food well. There is, perhaps, a touch of carbonic maceration that adds a hint of candy.

White Burgundy and Champagne

Current Release

Reviewed: 17 January 2012

 

I had the privilege of sitting in on this high quality tasting of white Burgundy and a few champagnes. There were some tremendous wines, and a great value champagne in the Brut Origine from Tribaut Schloesser.

These wines have limited availability, so try your local fine wine retailer.

Reviewed

Tribaut Schloesser – Brut Origine – NV (17.7). Restrained, light and joyful, this is a great aperitif. Very youthful and quite restrained, this is a delightful drink. There are hints of minerality and a prettiness to the finish. Not overly complex, but who cares. (Try Lamont’s Cottesloe).

Vilmart – Grand Reserve – NV (17.9+). Very fresh, with subtle complexity, this is almost chablis-like on the finish. Good mid palate weight and texture, the lemony acid carries the finish. Give it a couple of years to show its best.

Pierre Peters – Blanc de Blanc – NV (17.8). Round, soft, relatively complex and balanced. A very good all-round champagne with lovely autolysis and bread dough characters. The length is impressive and the finish complex and with weight. Would work very well with lighter food.

Tribaut Schloesser – Cuvee Rene – NV (18.2). Fine, complex and alluring nose. Superb balance on the palate. This is a blend of freshness and just enough development to make the finish complex and very satisfying. Yes, this will improve for quite a few years in the bottle, but it is a great drink now. A very refined wine, with superb balance and length of flavour.

Etienne Sauzet – Chardonnay – Puligny Montrachet – 2008 (17.7). Subdued nose. The palate is quite rich and very typical of burgundy with hints of honey too. There is a lovely minerality running through the wine and the structure supports the fruit well. Good length, though not overly complex at this stage, this is very enjoyable. Very well made, with good depth and concentration, the quality oak and high acidity stop this from fully expressing itself right now. Give it a few years!

Philippe Chavy – Chardonnay – Meursault – Les Charmes – 1er Cru – 2009 (17.8). Quite restrained initially with a steely core of tight fruit. Lovely wine of some power, yet the balance is excellent. Beautiful mouth-feel, this is very long and very precise. There are hints of lemon and minerals and the texture/viscosity works very well. This will fill out and become a great all-round wine.

Thierry & Pascal Matrot – Chardonnay – Meursault-Charmes – 1er Cru – 2007 (18.2). Richer, with minerals, quality oak and ripe fruit in evidence on the nose. Seamless, balanced and integrated, this is tight and very restrained. Just a baby, the lemony acid and well judged oak flesh out the finish. Subtle viscosity with minerality makes the finish work, but it will be even better in 2-3 years.

Domaine Bernard Bonin – Chardonnay – Meursault-Charmes – 1er Cru – 2007 (17.7). Hints of pineapple to the fruit, suggesting a degree of ripeness. Vanilla, crème brullee, spice, honey and lemon curd – this has it all. Develops honey and toasty oak on the finish. A bigger, richer style with obvious appeal.

Blain Gagnard – Chassagne Montrachet – Les Caillerets – 1er Cru – 2009 (17.9). Reserved/restrained, but suggests potential. Wow, whilst the wine is cold (too long in the fridge) and closed, this has a near seamless palate with lemon, honeysuckle, and fresh acidity. The oak is very much in the background, integrating very well with the fruit. Really needs 5 – 10 yrs to show its best.

Thierry & Pascal Matrot – Meaursualt – Blagny – 1er Cru – 2005 (17.8). In a tasting, there are some wines that you actually have to drink to appreciate. This is delicate, subtle and silky. There is gentle honey, mead and floral notes. The amazing thing is how this builds on the finish with spice, espescially cinnamon and nutmeg.

Domaine Darviot-Perrin – Meaursualt – Perrieres – 1er Cru – 2006 (18.5+). This has both the power and the intensity of a great wine. Curry leaf minerality leads the nose and the palate, but there is so much more. Generous and round in the mouth, there is high quality oak to support the ripe fruit. Textured and complex… I love it. Superb fruit quality. Immense length. Elegance as well.

Domaine Darviot-Perrin – Blanchot-Dessus – 1er Cru – 2006 (18.5+/-). Another sensational wine, this is mouth-coating and viscous, yet alive and refreshing. The length is fantastic and the palate fans out. Not for the faint-hearted, but a wine that we should all try. Opens to show pineapple fruit that is powerful. One reviewer found a touch of marmalade that made them question whether there was a touch of botrytis.

Chardonnay – New Release

Reviewed: 4 November 2011

This was another tasting that saw many wines cut before making it to this page. In general, the wines were actually very good, the problem was that they were just too young. With the move to a more restrained style of chardonnay, wines from the 2011 vintage are very tight and hard to assess.

Some of the wines looked more like SSBs, as they still had some of the tropical ferment characters in evidence (like passionfruit). Lets put this in perspective. The grapes for these wines are likely to have been picked, vinified, oak aged and bottled by September. At only 7 months of age, it is no wonder that they are youthful.

So apologies to the likes of Devil’s Lair, West Cape Howe and Flametree (2010 in this case). The wines were of very high quality, I just could not get a handle on them.

Reviewed

Cape Mentelle – Chardonnay – 2010 (18+). Another very smart wine in the modern style. Restraint is the key ingredient, though there is quality fruit and slick winemaking poking through. The palate is light, fresh, refined, silky and seamless. All potential now, this will blossom.

Stella Bella – Chardonnay – Serie Luminosa – 2009 (18). Closed. Creamy, seamless palate that has hints of pineapple over lovely winemaking inputs. The length and quality of fruit are a feature, while the oak handling is superb. A very good wine that will be at its best in 3 – 4 years.

Flametree – Chardonnay – SRS – 2010 (17.8+). Closed and restrained, this is a smart wine. Very reserved, very long and very young. Delicate and subtle. Will be very good in time. From Wallcliffe region.

Grant Burge – Chardonnay – Summers – 2010 (17.6). A lovely wine that would be my pick to drink now. This has balance and poise that is missing in some here. The fruit is subdued on the nose, but everything is in place. The palate is superb. Refined, silky and quite seamless, this has plenty of class. Whilst modern, this is rich and textured. Good fruit and careful oak use in evidence. This could benefit from a few years in the cellar, but it is more generous than the Cape Mentelle, making it a better drink young.

Devil’s Lair – Chardonnay – The Hidden Cave – 2011 (17.5). Lovely nose with minerals and spice. The acidity dominates the palate making it hard to assess the fruit. This is a very good wine and it will blossom in time. Whilst fruit driven in style, there are complex winemaker inputs too. Just don’t drink it now.

Frankland Estate – Chardonnay – Isolation Ridge – 2010 (17.5). Interesting wine. This is controlled and tight, though there has been good fruit used and quality winemaking. The length here is the key, this really goes on. Totally modern and fine, this will take 5 years in the cellar. This is near seamless and the oak just caresses the finish.

Singlefile Estate – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2009 (17.5). Quite a structured nose with lees, malo and oak in evidence . On the palate, the fruit shines through with peach and nectarine over creamy textural notes. Hints of cashew to close. Develops pineapple and has lovely acidity. Quality fruit made in a slightly bigger style.

West Cape Howe – Chardonnay – Styx Gully – 2010 (17.2). Closed on the nose. The quality is hinted at on the palate, but this is too young to really enjoy right now. Modern and light, with quality fruit and lovely texture.

Angove – Chardonnay – Vineyard Select – 2010 (17+). Youthful, tight and unrewarding now. The fruit is suppressed and the (high quality) oak dominates the finish. This has serious fruit and quality winemaking. A great buy at $18.

Tyrell’s – Chardonnay – Moon Mountain – 2010 (17). Simple but good quality fruit on the nose. Nice wine this. Good fruit runs through the palate with gentle stonefruit and slight lees, savoury and textural notes to close. The oak has been used well, with a slight toastiness to close. Smart wine. (At $15 from Dan Murphy, this is great value Hunter chardonnay).

Chardonnay and Rose

 

New Release

Reviewed – 20 August 2011

I have mentioned before that Rose is a wine without a clear definition of style. This tasting has gone part way in changing my opinion. All three wines reviewed are worth a look at, but the Turkey Flat is a good drink in any context. I actually had a glass of this with a cassolet, and it went down a treat.

There were also some very smart chardonnays. Interestingly, there was a cross-section of styles from the bigger, more obvious style of “The Pick” to the racy and nervous drive of the Vasse Felix. Both are excellent expressions of chardonnay, just different.

The star of the tasting was the Hardys. A wine of balance and refinement that while drinking a treat now, will live for several years to come.

Reviewed

Hardys – Chardonnay – HRB/D643 – 2008 (18). Fresher fruit nose here. This wine has immediate appeal. Quality fruit, judicious oak and skilled winemaking combine to make a wine of real length and elegance. The palate is long and refined, with stonefruit and citrus notes. The oak is a mere whisper in the background, adding texture and mouth-feel. A joy to drink!

Vasse Felix – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.8+). Refined and pristine nose with stonefruit characters. Has good quality fruit and quality oak handling. A long and textured palate, with lovely lemony acidity to close. Everything is in place to make this a star, it just needs a couple of years for the fruit, oak and acidity to come into balance.

Warner Glen Estate – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.8). Complex nose. Lovely minerality in the style of Chablis, with a touch of struck match, almond and cashew nut too. The palate is long and fine with a degree of viscosity. The finish is dominated by the medium toast but high quality oak, but hopefully this will settle in the bottle.

Warner Glen Estate – Chardonnay – The Pick – 2009 (17.5+). Bigger style with obvious malo-lactic fermentation, barrel ferment and lees stirring notes. Medium toast oak provides some toasty characters to the finish. Quality fruit, but this is a bigger wine. Although this is starting to develop, it took three days to show its best. In many ways, this is the opposite of the Vasse Felix.

d’Arenberg – Chardonnay – The Olive Grove – 2010 (17). Zesty citrus notes over ripe fruit. The palate is flooded with passionfruit and zippy acidity. Young, fresh and intense, there is refreshing bitter almond to close. This was a real surprise.

The Lane – Chardonnay – Block 3 – 2009 (17). Lovely nose. Peachy fruit, with creamy textural notes. The palate is restrained and tight, though there is skilled winemaking on show. There is creaminess to the finish with a gentle mealy finish. Develops butterscotch and lees/oak influences. Should score better in a year or two.

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Turkey Flat – Rose – 2010 (17). A bit more fruit weight here, with some sappy cabernet fruit with real length. I like this as a sunny afternoon drink and the drying finish adds appeal. Smart packaging helps to make this a “must try” this spring.

Stella Bella – Rose – Skuttlebutt – 2011 (16.7). Fresh, fragrant and vibrant with lovely cherry fruit. This has obvious appeal. Savoury and mouth-watering, this would take a light snack well. Well judged residual sugar leaves the palate quite dry.

Devils Lair – Rose – Fifth Leg – 2011 (16.4). Quite a neutral nose and palate. The finish is savoury and quite long. A good wine that is suited to savoury food.

Chardonnay & Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc

Reviewed 18 June 2011

The chardonnay bracket was one of the strongest that the panel can remember. The semillon and SB wines were also pretty smart. All in all, one of the more memorable tastings with a higher than usual success rate.

Highlights for me were the Mt Horricks semillon and many of the chardonnays. If I had to pick one, it would be the Brookland Valley. Perhaps this is not quite as great as the Leeuwin, Heytsebury and Xanadu, but it is a sheer joy to drink now and over the next five years.

Reviewed

Chardonnay

Leeuwin Estate – Chardonnay – Art Series – 2008 (18/18.7). Remarkably similar to a Sauzet Puligny Montrachet that I was lucky enough to drink last weekend. Very restrained and tight, though the acid is exhilarating. Hints of stonefruit to what is a smart wine. Lots of minerals and textural components to close, including some very fine oak tannins. After one day, this started to get some flesh on the mid palate. After two, it showed a treat. As with all Leeuwin Estate chardonnays, this will age well. Indeed, this wine demands to be cellared for at least 5 – 10 years to even approach its peak.

Vasse Felix – Chardonnay – Heytsebury – 2009. (18 – 18.5). Mineral, slate and a touch of match strike. Curry leaf, vanillin oak and creamy texture on the palate. A wine that has had all the treatment (barrel Ferment, lees stirring, oak aging, malo-lactic fermentation). Powerful and complex, this is a wine with great length. The powerful fruit makes this a great drink now or over the next 5 years.

Brookland Valley – Chardonnay – 2009 (18.3). A touch more nervous energy in this wine. Superb quality fruit and excellent wine-making have combined to make a wine of finesse and elegance. The fruit has intensity and power, but this is held in check by the tight knit oak and pineapple acidity. A seamless palate with tremendous length. This received extra marks for being an excellent drink!

Xanadu – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2010 (18+). Closest in style to the Leeuwin Estate. Curry leaf, flint and mineral notes on the nose with pineapple undertones. The palate is lovely, with intense fruit, seamless oak and a silky palate. The balance here is the key. There is an undercurrent of stonefruit on a wine that is complex and well worked. Needs 5 years to show its best.

Clairault – Chardonnay – Estate – 2010 (18). A superb nose that is complex, yet full of life. Creamy, peachy fruit, with just a hint of curry leaf that signals quality. Lemony oak dominates the fruit on the palate, but this is a very tight and fresh wine. Look for grapefruit and pineapple with citrus acid to close. Give it a few years to watch it blossom as this became quite expressive as it opened.

Clairault – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.5). Restrained and dumb at present. A good wine, with no rough edges, just lacks the excitement of the Estate. Good length and quality fruit. Light, fresh and elegant, with granny smith texture on a very long palate. A well made wine that is tight and lean in a contemporary style.

Forester – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.7). Closed and tight, yet there is no questioning the quality of this wine. Lemony fruit with hints of sherbet and tropical fruit. The oak is subtle and adds finesse to the close. Good drinking without being over the top, this wine held its own in a big bracket!

S/SB

Mount Horricks – Semillon – 2010 (17.7). Creamy and quite delicious. Honey, vanilla and lemony fruit, with a hint of crème caramel. On the palate, this is a powerful wine that has been given royal treatment (barrel Ferment, lees stirring, oak aging). Creamy and textured, with lovely lemony fruit that runs to the end of the palate.

Carpe Diem – Sauvignon Blanc – Schiaffo – 2010 (17). A very interesting wine that is not your typical Margaret River SB. More golden in colour, this has lanolin and vanillin oak notes to open. Lemony and tight, the palate is near seamless. Slight char to the oak is apparent on the finish. A quality wine that needs a year or two to settle down. Try instead of chardonnay.

Stella Bella – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (17). Quite pungent fruit on the nose reflecting the cooler southern end of the Margaret River region. Lychee, passionfruit, lantana and tropical notes on the nose. Plenty of acid on the palate with good length and intensity. Smart.

Willow Bridge – Sauvignon Blanc – Fume – 2010 (17+). As the name suggests, made in a different style to most Australian SBs. This has seen 8 months in oak. Complex nose and palate that has creamy lees characters and a touch of toast from the oak. Has a passing resemblance to White Bordeaux. An interesting wine that is worth trying.

Drakesbrook – Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (16.8). A touch more creamy than some, which is suggestive of some lees contact. (None mentioned on the label). The palate is bright, grassy and zesty, with good mouth-feel and length. An approachable wine that is good current drinking.

Leeuwin Estate – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Siblings – 2010 (16.8). A fairly mainstream example of this blend. Starts of quite closed, but develops grassy/tropical notes with air. Lemon brullee on the palate. Very tight and a touch austere right now, this is a wine that could do with a year in bottle to settle down. Not overly complex, but nice zesty lemon fruit, good length and refreshing acidity.

Chardonnay – New Release Tasting

Reviewed – 30 April 2011

Chardonnay continues to present a conundrum for me. The modern style of wine-making that I have discussed before is definitely my preferred style. The problem is that the wines tend to be so fresh and restrained, that it is hard to properly enjoy them when they are young. Combine this with the widespread use of screw cap and you have many wines that need some cellaring to bring out their best.

Ultimately, the result will be better wines for those who can keep them tucked away for a few years. Fortunately, the use of screw caps probably makes it easier to have a wine in good condition at the other end of the process. It takes a leap of faith to cellar chardonnay, so at least give the wines plenty of air in the glass and see how they evolve.

Reviewed

Clairault – Chardonnay – Estate – 2009 (17.5). Lemony fruit with plenty of zippy acidity. There are quality wine-making inputs with clever oak and some barrel ferment notes. Whilst this is restrained, tight and zesty, it should evolve over the next few years.

Killerby – Chardonnay – 2009 (17.5). More interest here and quite a worked style. There is creamy oak with a buttery texture. The fruit is expressed in the peach spectrum. Lovely mouth-feel, with a creamy textured finish courtesy of the slightly charry oak. Needs time for the fruit to fully express itself, but a smart wine.

Voyager Estate – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.3+). Very subdued initially on the nose. Builds in the mouth with quality fruit and oak. Needs time to show its best, but is a pretty smart wine overall.

Angove – Chardonnay – Vineyard Select – 2009 (17.2). Creamy and very classy nose with plenty of stonefruit. There is white fleshed peach and a touch of nectarine. The oak grip is a touch firm on the palate, but this quickly settled in the glass. This is a bigger, richer style that is quite complete. Great value drinking over the next year or two.

Fire Gully – Chardonnay – 2008 (17+). Fresh, almost fragrant, talc aromas. Fresh and vibrant, though the structural components are a touch disjointed at present. Good oak and excellent length. This is a modern style that really fleshed out after being open for a day, developing powerful pineapple fruit aromas.

Shingleback – Chardonnay – 2010 (17). Fresher fruit on the nose. Fresh and vibrant, with creamy cashew nut textural notes. Not overtly concentrated, and there is only a mere whisper of the pretty oak on the finish. A well rounded and generous wine that has plenty of appeal.

Seppelt – Chardonnay – Grampians 2009 (16.7+). Quite rich, round and balanced. Buttery, almost lanolin. The palate is surprisingly lean by comparison, with an acid structure more akin to chablis. All components are in place, but this needs several years to approach its best.

Umamu – Chardonnay – 2007 (16.5). A pleasant wine with gentle stonefruit aromas and a hint of oak to fill out the middle palate. Very youthful for a six year old wine.

Andrew Peace – Semillon/Colombard/Chardonnay – Peace by Peace – 2010 (15.5). An inoffensive generic dry white. This should be available for under $5:00.

Chablis

University Wine Society

7 March 2011

For many years, Andrew Baird has been coordinating the tastings for the University Wine Society. The tastings are always informative and entertaining. When the presenter from this month’s tasting became unavailable, he managed to convince John Jens to present a snapshot of Chablis. John has been a good friend to the society for many years, and pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable evening.

Chablis is a sub-region of the Burgundy region in France. The principal grape variety used is chardonnay. An interesting dimension to Chablis is the attitude towards the use of oak. Historically, all but the best wines were un-oaked, but over the last two decades, there has been a gradual increase in oak use to the point where even some generic chablis have oak influences.

There are several designators of quality that are dependent on the location of the vineyards used to grow the grapes. The lowest appellation is Petite Chablis. This is followed by Chablis, Premier Cru (1er Cru) and Grand Cru. There are numerous different vineyards that have premier or Grand Cru status and these sub-regions are mentioned on the label. For example, the Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru is from the Vaillons region. This region has a 1er Cru appellation.

Overall, this was a fantastic tasting that highlighted the quality and diversity of the wines of Chablis.

The wines are reviewed in the order tasted.

Reviewed

Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16.75). More expressive fruit. The balance here is the key. Lovely expression of fruit in the mouth. No rough edges to this wine.

Sylvian Mosnier – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16.5). More restrained nose. Creamy mouth-feel with gentle mineral and nutty notes. Lovely mouth-feel and texture on a creamy, long and almost chewy palate.

Simonnet Febvre – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16.4). Creamy and textured, but with a touch of curry leaf and minerals running through the palate. Not a lot of character, but a pleasant drink.

Denis Pommier – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (16). Fresh and creamy nose, with some stonefruit characters that are actually quite peachy. Minerals and flint frame the steely palate. Quite long but not complex. Some caramel to close.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Petit Chablis – 2008 (17). More structure than some. Floral and very pretty, this has an appeal that some others lack. Long palate with refreshing grapefruit acidity. A good wine with real character. An impressive entry level wine.

Sebastien Dampt – Chardonnay – Chablis – 2009 (16.8). More complex aromas. The palate has a step up in complexity. Long, with a sea salt tang to the finish. Creamy and generous, this is an interesting wine, but could do with a touch more depth of fruit.

Sebastien Dampt – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru – 2008 (17.2). More complex, with grapefruit and lemon citrus notes. Minerals, steel, powerful palate, with lemon, creamy oak, minerals and a steely finish. The acid is not shy, but carries the finish with aplomb. A solid wine.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru 2008 (17.7). More balanced and rounded than the Dampt. Creamy, textured, long and complex. The acid structure is a little firm now but will settle with time. Great balance and mouth-feel. Not as obvious as some, but an excellent wine with great finesse.

Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Vaillons – 1er Cru – 2008 (17.9). Lemony fruit combine perfectly with textural wine-maker’s inputs on the nose. The creamy lees aromas complement well judged oak. Pineapple fruit, with lemon butter on the palate is reminiscent of mendoza clone, and the oak is layered over the top of the fruit. Excellent length and persistence. A powerful wine of real appeal.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2008 (18.1). Really intense nose that is quite lovely. Citrus, minerals, spice and perfumed fruit all add to the appeal. Creamy, with seamless acidity. Fresh and vibrant, this is good drinking now, but will get even better with bottle age.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2007 (18.3). A touch more expressive than the 2008, but with a very similar profile. If anything, there is more power on the palate and the finish is a little closed. There are hints of tropical fruit and white-fleshed nectarines. There is fresh acidity on an excellent finish.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2006 (17.7). More seductive and inviting. This is richer and more generous than the younger wines. Powerful fruit on the palate is complemented by acid that is softening. The minerality on the finish is the dominant character. The balance is not quite as good as the 2007

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Beauroy – 1er Cru – 2005 (16.8). More developed and complex than the earlier wines. This is balanced and rich with some honey and textured components. This bottle is perhaps not the best example.

Christian Moreau – Chardonnay – Les Clos – 1er Cru – 2008 (18). Wow! Complex and powerful. This is a powerhouse of flavour. Intense, textured, viscous, long and balanced. There is no subtlety here, but an impressive wine all the same.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Bougros – Cote Bouguerots – Chablis – Grand Cru – 2008 (18.6). Subtle, complex, intense yet feminine. This is a very seductive and appealing wine. Seamless, this is deceiving as the balance and soft texture make it very appealing. Underneath though, there is immensely powerful fruit. A balanced and complete wine.

William Fevre – Chardonnay – Bougros – Cote Bouguerots – Chablis – Grand Cru – 2005 (18.3). Starting to show the benefits of age. Complexity is increasing, but the acidity is still firm and taught. Again, this is deceptive, as the latent power of fruit is masked in a creamy, silky envelope

New Release Chardonnay

Reviewed – 28 February 2011

A challenging tasting, as some of the wines displayed high levels of malic acid. The wines from Cherubino in particular proved challenging. I have no doubt that, in time, these wines will blossom, but right now they are awkward and shy.

The real hit was the Chardonnay from Alchemist. At around $15 per bottle from the winery, this is a great drink!

Reviewed

Leeuwin Estate – Chardonnay – Prelude – 2009 (17.7). Quite closed to start, but hints at grapefruit and tropical aromas. A taught, almost racy wine with plenty of appeal. A well made wine, with the quality oak and structural components playing well against the high quality fruit. Very youthful, this should develop well over 5 years.

The Alchemists – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.6). A complete smelling wine. Nectarine, lemon rind, and some (well judged) phenolics on the nose. Powerful fruit on the palate with some viscosity and texture. Good length and persistence too.. Modern and youthful, with quality fruit and wine-making. A very good effort and excellent value.

Cherubino – Chardonnay – The Yard – Channybearup Vineyard – 2010 (17.3). Restrained, with some stonefruit notes. The palate is balanced, but quite subtle. There is decent length and texture. After sitting on the tasting bench for a few days, this evolved into an enjoyable wine in which the oak is perfectly integrated.

Arlewood – Chardonnay – 2007 (17). Surprisingly tight given the extra age of this wine. The fruit is lemony, and the acid is still tight and zippy. Very long palate with fine, high quality fruit balanced by well integrated oak. A persistent wine that is drinking well now, yet has the ability to take further bottle.

Cherubino – Chardonnay – The Yard – 24 Road Vineyard – 2010 (17). Floral by comparison to some here, with tropical fruit on the nose. Restrained and taught in the mouth, the high acid levels suggest that there has been only partial malo-lactic fermentation. The fruit is fine and structured and there is expensive, fine grained oak on the finish. This is very youthful and needs a year or two to start opening up. One reviewer commented that this wine was chablis-like and another found hints of esters (lollied bananas). Too young to drink or review accurately.

Rosabrook – Chardonnay – 2009 (17). Golden colour suggests a bigger style. Rich and powerful nose. A fully worked wine displaying barrel ferment, malo-lactic fermentation, lees stirring and high toast oak. Some pineapple fruit on a viscous palate. A more traditional style of Australian chardonnay.

Ballewindi – Chardonnay – 2009 (16.9). A more typical chardonnay nose here. Generous, round and soft, but with enough acidity to keep the finish fresh. The oak plays a limited but complementary role. A sound wine with a savoury edge.

Juniper Estate – Chardonnay – 2010 (16.8). Struck match, flint and sulphur with a touch of curry leaf over moderately toasty oak. Viscous in the mouth, this is a bigger style that displays toasty oak, barrel ferment and malo-lactic fermentation notes. Will do well with the crowds.

Cherubino – Chardonnay – Ad Hoc – Hen and Chicken – 2010 (16.6). The fruit is more expressive here, though still closed. Quite a powerful wine, with lemon, pineapple and stonefruit characters. The palate is packed with flavour, though the high acidity makes it hard to drink. Very good persistence, but the wine is a little short in the mouth.

Greed Sheep – Chardonnay – 2009 (16.4). Subtle, creamy, textured, long. There is a lovely vanilla bean flavour running through the palate, complemented by medium toast oak. Some spice and cashew butter to close.

Chardonnay – New Release

24 January 2011

Chardonnay is the king of white wine in my opinion. The wines can be made in a variety of styles and the very best are as good as any wine on earth. There is a catch however. It seems that, like pinot noir, chardonnay can be difficult to get right. There is also some debate as to what good chardonnay should taste like.

This tasting highlighted the diversity of styles and threw up a couple of treats. The bargains were the Verse 1, Butterfly Ridge and the White Truck. The Verse 1 is a very good wine at any price and is a great example of the style. The White Truck is new to the market and they seem to have got it right here. Quality fruit and winemaking elevate this to better than quaffing. The Butterfly Ridge I have previously rated as wine of the week.

Several of the more expensive wines were hard to judge. Most were from the 2009 vintage and have not had time to really integrate and show their best. Wines like the Brookland Valley, Devils Lair, Millbrook, and Shaw and Smith are all noteworthy, but all generated debate during the tasting as they will evolve over the next five years.

Reviewed

Brookland Valley – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2009 (18). A seriously worked style that has plenty of wine-making inputs. Lees, batonage, barrel ferment and new oak all play a role. The fruit is very powerful and absorbs these inputs with aplomb on the palate. The finish is remarkably fine and restrained. Needs a few years to settle down. (Really polarised the panel as some thought it was over the top).

Brookland Valley – Chardonnay – Verse 1 – 2009 (17.8). More complex than many here, with some almond meal over quality fruit. This smells expensive, aided by the high quality oak. Pineapple, peaches and more of the almond meal flood the palate. The texture and mouth-feel are very fine, and the length is excellent. Needs a year or two to blossom as the acid is a little forward still. Great buying at under $20, and the wine of the tasting.

Devils Lair – Chardonnay – 2009 (17.6+). A touch more astringent, courtesy of the expensive oak, with pleasant cashew notes. The palate is firm yet fresh, with toast and marmalade characters on the persistent finish. Worked and complex, this is a serious wine with excellent length and quality fruit. Buttery oak to close. Give this 3-5 years to show its best.

Crittenden Estate – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.5) Closed and very fine. Extraordinarily fine wine that has a purity of fruit that is outstanding. There is lemony fruit, with a very creamy mouth-feel and length that is complemented by very fine oak. A delicate wine for the purist. It should be noted that two panellists thought the fruit was suppressed, suggesting a bottle that was not in perfect condition.

Millbrook – Chardonnay – LR – 2009 (17). Complex, worked and powerful. The fruit characters tend toward the pineapple spectrum suggesting the inclusion of mendoza clone fruit. There is also lovley stonefruit, combined with creamy oak and barrel ferment notes on the close. High quality fruit and winemaking has resulted in a wine that will drink well for the next 5 years.

Shaw and Smith – Chardonnay – 2009 (17). Fresh, bright and juicy by comparison, this is still a well made wine with subtle oak to support the quality fruit.. In many respects this is a better drink right now as the fruit is accessible. Not as powerful but dry, long , textured, fine and very young. The epitome of restraint! (Previous vintages have demonstrated the ability of these wines to age and I am sure this will receive higher marks in a few years).

White Truck – Chardonnay – 2009 (16.8). Fresher and more vibrant. Some nutty notes on the nose. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with a touch of viscosity to close. Not complex, but creamy and silky. A blend of Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley fruit, this is a bargain at less than $15.

Palmer – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.5+). Honeyed, with firm oak on the nose – the fruit on this is quite subdued. Well made, the finish builds and has good length. One to watch for a year or two.

Matua – Chardonnay – 2009 (16.4). Again, fresh and vibrant, but surprisingly viscous on the palate. This is youthful, with creamy/buttery components. Good drinking, but just lacks the concentration of fruit of the best.

Angove – Chardonnay – Butterfly Ridge – 2009 (16.5). Again, has creamy textural notes to the fore. Good mouth-feel and fresh fruit make for a good drink, and there is just enough oak to add interest. $7 price = BARGAIN!!!!!!!!