Wildberry Reserve Chardonnay 2016
Appearance: Pale gold color. Nose: Our Reserve Chardonnay has a bright and lifted nose of sweet pastry, lemon curd and fleshy white stone fruit. Palate: The palate displays a rich and layered mix of fresh stone fruit, citrus and intense vanilla bean flavors. A fine mineral thread ensures a wine of impeccable length and persistence. Drink now-5 years.
93 pts James Halliday
The undoubted complexity of this wine comes from picking on 2 and 24 Feb in Wilyabrup and Carbunup and clones 95 and Gin Gin, the fruit pressed on arrival through a must chiller, chilled for 12 hours, partly pressed to used French oak, all remaining juice fermented at 12-15 degrees C in tank, 2 months lees stirring, with a total of 9 months in barrel. This is the ultimate in synergy, the tactile facets constantly changing, from creamy to acid, the fruit ranging through white peach, rock melon, pear and hazelnut.
90 pts Wine Enthusiast
Made in a reductive style, this wine initially shows aromas of onion skin and nuts, with grilled tropical fruit, brine and toasty oak in the background. The palate is full and slippery in texture, with plenty of fruit weight, citrusy acidity, a toasty oak note and long, lemony finish. 90 pts Wine Enthusiast
Made in a reductive style, this wine initially shows aromas of onion skin and nuts, with grilled tropical fruit, brine and toasty oak in the background. The palate is full and slippery in texture, with plenty of fruit weight, citrusy acidity, a toasty oak note and long, lemony finish.
Clone:100% Gin-Gin / Sub-region: Wilyabrup. Harvest Method: Hand-picked. / Harvest analysis:12.5 Baume / 3.24pH / 8.4/L TA.
Handpicked fruit is harvested and transported to the winery before spending a night in cold store to ensure cool processing temperatures. Whole fruit clusters are tipped directly to the press. Only the first 500L/t is utilised for the Reserve Chardonnay ensuring a fine and delicate expression of the fruit. Freshly pressed juice is pumped to tank where it is settled for 12-24 hours before being sent to French oak barrels for fermentation. A degree of fruit solids is retained in the juice to further aid complexity and texture to the final wine. Fermentation of our Reserve Chardonnay is conducted by 100% natural yeast and usually takes from 14-21 days to conclude. Following fermentation, the wine is matured in 50% New and 50% one year old French oak barrels with periodic lees stirring for the following 10 months.
