16th July 2009

The usual panel got together for 21 new chardonnays. The distinguishing feature of the tasting was the modern style in which they were made. Gone are the fat, blousy and heavily oaked wines from the 1990s. These wines are lean, tight and fresh. Oak is mainly in the background, and french oak is the order of the day. Most of the wines need at least a year or two to flesh out and show their best. The most startling wine was the Rosemount Roxburgh, which is as far removed from the wines of the early 1990s as night is from day.

The down side of this change in style is that the wines are not as approachable young, and tasting 21 in a little over an hour is hard work indeed. A winery to watch is Xabregas. their show reserve wines look promising. If they are priced sensibly ($30) they will represent good buying.

Tasted

Moss Wood – Moss Wood Vineyard – Chardonnay – 2007 (17.5/18). Whilst this wine started more austere than most here, it really opened up with a bit of time. Has everything really, serious fruit, excellent oak and all the usual winemakers inputs (barrel ferment, lees contact etc). At this stage the oak is a little dominant at the finish, but this will settle down. The palate has the lot with pineapple fruit and vanillin oak to close. Needs 3-5 years. .

Plantagenet – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.7+). Complex and tight nose. The palate has lovely almonds, apricots and melons. Grapefruit acidity to close. Oak subdued. Young but exciting. This will be even better with time. Much better the next day.

Xabregas – Show Reserve – Chardonnay – 2006 (17.5). Worked and complex. The palate is viscous with peach fruit. Vanillin oak adds complexity. On the palate, this is a bit hard to gauge, as the acid is very dominant right now. Nice texture and quality fruit. Toasty oak to close. Even better the next day.

Xanadu – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.3). Almond and spice on the nose with supple oak support. The palate is closed but has a nice creamy texture. Complex and well worked, this needs a few years to blossom. Zesty acid to close.

Rosemount – Roxburgh – Chardonnay – 2007 (17.2+). Closed to start with. This is rich, textured and long. Excellent fruit quality here, a modern wine that has been well worked. Needs a few years to settle down, as the oak finish is a little clunky.

Singlefile Estate – Reserve – Chardonnay – 2008 (17.1). Closed to start. Pineapple fruit, typical of the Mendoza clone common in WA. The palate is attractive, with a rich nutty mouth feel. I felt the oak grip detracted from finish

3 Drops – Chardonnay – 2007 (17). Quite Burundian, with minerals and a touch of curry leaf. The palate is dominated by grapefruit, and has a spicy long finish. Fruit builds in the mouth. Lean now, will be better in a year or two.

Higher Plane – South by South West – Chardonnay – 2006 (16.9). Clean and ripe on the nose, this has some serious fruit. Well made, with pineapple to close. Could have had better oak use.

Singlefile Estate – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.8). Perfumed nose with creamy stone fruit and pineapple. The palate is clean fresh but closed, and the finish is long and quite tight. Perhaps a touch of sweetness to close (not a bad thing). The finish, but this may settle.

Vistamar – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.7). Really divided the room. I felt it was quite creamy and complex, with a palate that is textured and long. The acid swamps the fruit now. Melons, peach and nectarine to close. Worth a try at $10.

Xanadu – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.7). Subdued fruit, but complex and creamy. Nice citrus and nuttiness. The palate remains very acidic, tight and long. Give it lots of air.

Xanadu – Next of Kin – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.6). Clean and fresh on the nose with vibrant, zesty fruit. The palate is quite long with musk, grapefruit, cinnamon and spice. The wine is lean and modern and nicely worked.

Plantagenet – Omrah – Chardonnay – 2008 (16. 5). More complex than some unwooded chardonnays. The palate is quite long and bright. Some almond meal to close. Good stuff for an unwooded wine.

Hardy’s – The Gamble – Chardonnay/Pinot Gris – 2008 (16.5). Did not show much on the nose, but the palate is full of fruit. The pinot gris adding significant viscosity to the palate. Quite long but lacks focus. Why the blend?

5th July 2009

Tasted

Results

Vasse Felix – Heytsbury – Chardonnay – 2007 (18+) Touch of curry leaf to the minerals that dominate the nose, with cashew paste adding complexity. Creamy and textured palate with a silky mouth feel. Excellent finish and very long. Shy now, but has good potential. Oak adds to finish. Very good fruit. Terry thought the tropical/pineapple fruit was typical of the mendoza clone. Will get even better.

Palmer – Chardonnay – 2006 (18). Closed, but hints at complexity. The palate is textbook Chardonnay – mealy, creamy, complex and seamless. The finish is long with lemony acid. Excellent mouth feel and weight. Not cheap, so perhaps the Heytsbury is a better buy.

Millbrook – Limited release – Chardonnay – 2007 (17.9) Creamy and complex nose. Fantastic palate on this. Creamy, complex and textured. Seamless and very fine. Lovely oak to close. Crisp, long and linear.

Repertoire – Shim – Chardonnay – 2007 (17.5+) A real surprise hear. The nose is subtle and fresh, though a bit closed. On the palate this is clean fresh and vibrant with a zesty finish. There is a touch of sherbet. It will evolve over the next 2-3 years. Excellent fruit, balance and persistence in a restrained style.

Clairault – Estate – Chardonnay 2006 (17). Closed and quite dumb on the nose. Clean and fresh, with peachy fruit. More support from the others who found it lean, tight and intense. Not me, though it is good

Wise – Reserve – Chardonnay 2006 (17). Young, closed and complex. The palate has nutty fruit. A leaner style that has very good fruit, with a lean and drying finish. Acid in check

Hutton – Tryptich – Chardonnay 2007 (17) A Complex wine. the nose has minerals and a touch of earth. The crème brule finish overpowers the subtle fruit. Should integrate

Xanadu – Chardonnay – 2007 (16.8). A touch coarse by comparison.The palate is forward with lemony acid, but lacks fruit weight and complexity.

Vasse Felix – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.8). Quite complex on the nose. Leads with minerals and a nutty, almond meal texture. The palate is zesty and a bit firm now, and the oak grip is a touch obvious now. Should improve in a year or two.

Forester – Chardonnay – 2007 (16.5).

Leaping Lizard – Chardonnay – 2008 (16.5) I was the only supporter. Very young and pale. Clean vibrant fruit. The palate is clean fresh and a touch simple, with sherbet and vanilla brule to close. May develop ..

Pierre Naigeon – Bourgogne – Chardonnay – 2006 (16). Entry level white burgundy. quite typical, and worth trying if you are new to the style. (A Dan Murphy direct import)