Handpicked Wines Regional Selection Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2014
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Wong
Wilfred
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A great pairing with Tandoori chicken.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Showing an excellent combination of fruit and earth, the well-made 2014 Handpicked Regional Selections Chardonnay makes a solid case that the Yarra Valley is a real player when it comes to Burgundian grape varieties. The wine's apple and savory flavors pair it well with Vietnamese five-spiced chicken. (Tasted: September 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
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Spectator
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Wine &
Handpicked is a contemporary and dynamic Australian wine company with a unique business model. Unlike most wineries, we do not limit ourselves to one region or style. Instead we aim to lead wine lovers on a journey through the world’s fine wine regions.
The Handpicked story grew from the simple, yet bold desire to bring the world of wine under one label. We 'handpick' the wine regions and grape varieties from around Australia and beyond to craft a global portfolio of wines which all reflect a supreme sense of place.
Handpicked is made up of a team of experienced winemakers, viticulturalists and wine lovers. Making wines across the world means our winemakers are constantly busy travelling to ensure we produce the highest quality wines from each and every region.
We achieve this diverse portfolio through our vineyards in Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Margaret River and Barossa Valley and through established partnerships with vignerons in other regions. Our two winemakers work closely with local producers to ensure our wines reflect the quality and regional character we are looking for.
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.