Green Point Reserve Chardonnay 2004
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A vibrant pale straw with a green hue. The wine has a fragrant aroma of white peach, lemon butter and honeydew enhanced by subtle, fresh roasted hazelnut and cashew aromas derived from barrel fermentation. On the palate, lemon, grapefruit and white peach flavors provide a racy, fresh entry before leading to a creamy and smooth mid palate. Extended maturation in fine grained French oak barriques adds structure and length to the finish.
Moët & Chandon acquired the site in 1986 and today it is where they grow high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for Green Point still wines. They have selected other sites in Victoria and the Yarra Valley that provide the ideal marriage of "terroir" with variety for the other Green Point varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Shiraz).
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
As the most important area of wine production in Victoria today, the Yarra Valley is most popular for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which account for over half of vineyard acreage. A gentle, rolling and rural region alongside the Margaret River, the Yarra Valley has a cool maritime climate with a lengthy growing season, perfect for these cool-climate varieties.
Two styles of Pinot Noir are possible here. The warmer Lower Yarra Valley with sandy, loam soils, produces plush and fruity Pinot Noir while the cooler, higher-elevation Upper Yarra Valley with soils of young red basalt, produces more angular and mineral-driven Pinot Noir.
Yarra Valley Chardonnay is among the best in Australia. To preserve the floral aromatics and fresh citrus flavors for which this area’s Chardonnay is so appreciated, time in barrel is restrained (though barrel fermentation is common). The best Yarra Valley Chardonnays display brilliant acidity, leesy characteristics, citrus, stone fruit and flavors of ginger and spice.
Shiraz and Cabernet find success in parts of this region as well.