2024 Chardonnay

Baked quince, pear and stonefruit aromas. Classic flavours of stone fruit, creamy oak and lees combine to deliver a fresh and succulent Chardonnay. Western Australian crayfish cooked on the BBQ served with garlic butter. Winemaking The fruit was hand-picked in the cool morning, immediately delivered to the winery where it was gently pressed. The free-run portion was transferred directly to a mixture of new and older French oak puncheons and barriques both French oak and stainless steel for alcoholic fermentation. Regular bâttonage during maturation integrated the oak and added texture and flavour to the wine. Prior to bottling the wine was blended and gently fined. Vintage Vintage 2024 was early and very fast paced. The growing season saw above-average temperatures and almost no rainfall, which led to an early budburst and perfect growing conditions with no disease pressure in the vineyard. This led to an early berry set and veraison in all varieties. The region was also blessed with one of the most spectacular and abundant Marri flowering seasons, which kept the birds away from the vineyards. Precision in harvest timing was crucial, as optimal ripeness came and went very quickly due to the hot, fast-ripening season. Whites were picked over a two-week period instead of the typical four weeks. Red varieties required careful consideration to ensure physiological maturity with fruit expression vibrancy.