Winemaker Notes
Fresh zesty flavors of melon, grapefruit and nectarine are dominant on the front palate. The complexity is evident in the textural qualities of the wine – a good weight and 'thickness'. A subtle, persistent richness with a lingering mouthfeel of tropical fruits finishes it off.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This the personal project of Rob McDonald, former owner of the Old Bridge Cellars import firm. This trio of fine-tuned, consumer-friendly, fairly-priced wines includes a crisp, honeyed, lemon-scented 2005 Chardonnay from the cool climate region of Adelaide Hills. It possesses loads of fruit along with a hint of minerality, medium body, and an exuberant, fresh style. Enjoy it over the next several years.
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.
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.