Reserve Chardonnay 2024
Price:
$45.00
The warm, dry 2024 season has produced a refined and elegant Chardonnay with lifted aromas of white peach, citrus and beautifully integrated French oak. The palate is layered with flavours of fig, lemon rind and ripe melon, complemented by a creamy texture, vibrant acidity and a long, fresh finish that showcases both richness and finesse.
Dry Grown Reserve Chardonnay 2024
Technical Details
- Alcohol: 13.0% Alc/Vol
Tasting Notes
The Dry Grown Reserve Chardonnay is pale straw in colour with brilliant clarity and vibrancy. The bouquet is lifted and complex, offering aromas of white peach, tropical fruit and citrus beautifully integrated with premium French oak and subtle notes of honeyed butter and vanilla.
The palate is rich yet refined, combining flavours of ripe fig, lemon rind and melon with vibrant natural acidity. A creamy mid-palate, enhanced by barrel fermentation and malolactic fermentation, provides exceptional texture and depth before finishing long, fresh and elegantly balanced.
Vineyard
The fruit was sourced from our dry-grown, 12-hectare vineyard in Mount Barker, Great Southern. Established more than four decades ago, these old vines are grown without irrigation, relying solely on natural rainfall—a rarity in modern viticulture.
Low yields, small berries and ancient gravelly loam soils produce fruit with remarkable concentration and character. Cane-pruned and typically yielding around two tonnes per hectare, the vines benefit from the region's cool climate and extended ripening period, allowing exceptional flavour development while retaining natural acidity and balance.
Vintage Comments
The 2024 vintage was one of the earliest on record following a dry growing season and exceptionally warm conditions. A lack of significant rainfall after September, combined with repeated heatwaves, accelerated ripening and reduced yields across the region.
Despite the challenging conditions and lower volumes, fruit quality was outstanding, producing Chardonnay with impressive concentration, purity of flavour and excellent natural balance.
Winemaking
The cool-climate conditions of Mount Barker provide an ideal environment for crafting premium Chardonnay. This Reserve Chardonnay was fermented and matured in new French oak barrels for 12 months, with malolactic fermentation encouraged to soften acidity and build richness and texture.
Careful lees contact and oak maturation contribute subtle buttery complexity while preserving the vibrant fruit profile and freshness of the wine. The result is a beautifully structured Chardonnay that balances elegance, creamy texture and lively acidity, reflecting both the unique character of the vineyard and the exceptional quality of the 2024 vintage.