If you’d been in a cryogenic chamber for the past 10 years, I think you would have been shocked and pleasantly surprised to have sampled the chardonnays on offer at the Royal Sydney Wine Show last Saturday. The one characteristic common to vast majority of them was the subtle, judicious use of oak. These wines had varying degrees of perceptible oak and malolactic fermentation, but none were heavy or the over the top the way they were 10 years ago. Virtually all the Chardonnays that Brown and I tried were quality drops.
2008 Voyager Estate Chardonnay – 15.0 - varietal nose, sensitive use oak and a lick of malo, grapefruit on palate, bit of spice on long finish. Good stuff. Definitely needs time but what were the judges thinking with a score of 15?
2008 Voyager Estate Chardonnay – 15.0 - varietal nose, sensitive use oak and a lick of malo, grapefruit on palate, bit of spice on long finish. Good stuff. Definitely needs time but what were the judges thinking with a score of 15?
2008 Bay of Fires Chardonnay – 18.7 – Gold - Stronger, oakier nose, more open drink now style, top quality, though not especially intense.
2008 Vasse Felix Heytesbury – 17.7 – Silver - very subtle oak, nice citrus /sour flavours . Nice smokiness on finish – top wine.
2008 Giant Steps Sexton Chardonnay – 17.2 – Silver - Fruitier nose in comparison to others with little oak or malo influence. Rounder and fatter on palate and finishes with nice intensity.
2008 Paringa Estate Chardonnay - 15.3 - brussell sprouts on nose, some spice, rounded, juicy, drink now style. Definitely different
2008 Ferngrove Estate Diamond Chardonnay – 18.5 – Gold – nice nose of grapefruit and oak. Round sweet fruit at front, finishes nicely smokey, bitter grapefruit. Good stuff
2008 Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay - 18.5 - Gold - Chablis style. Crisp lemon and refreshing acidity. Nice. Will age.
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