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Vineyard
Established in 1985 on a steep north-facing slope high on the side of Mount Macedon, this Pinot Noir vineyard sits between 730m and 780m. It is planted in degraded red loam that originated from a volcanic event at Camels Hump some 60 million years ago. The elevation ensures this is a very cool site to ripen Chardonnay, and it’s always the last white wine vineyard harvested for each vintage. Vine rows run north-south and are trained to a VSP canopy.
Growing Season
The 2021/2022 growing season was the third cool season in a row. Cold conditions at budburst and flowering led to small crops; these conditions continued across and post veraison, ensuring a later-than-normal harvest.
Winemaking
Handpicked, the fruit was whole-bunch pressed into a stainless-steel tank, allowing the juice to settle for 24 hours; it was then roughly racked to French oak barriques, approximately 20% new. Our Chardonnays are all barrel fermented, with indigenous yeasts at cool temperatures of 14°C. Once dry, partial malolactic conversion occurred, endeavouring to balance naturally high acid levels of the Macedon Ranges, encouraging mid-palate power and complementing the natural fruit characteristics of Australian Chardonnay. The wine spent a total of 9 months in oak maturing on yeast lees before the best barrels were selected, blended and bottled.
Tasting Note
Bright, straw golden in the glass, the aromatics of nougat, white peach, subtle bread dough, and yoghurt complexity from the Malolactic influence. The palate is vibrant and layered with Meyer lemon citrus woven through white nectarine fruits, with balanced oak giving almond meal and cashew notes. At the same time, stony minerality and salty inflections all make for a morish expression of cool climate chardonnay.
