Winemaker Notes
A tightly wound cool climate Chardonnay which leads with mouth-watering grapefruit and nectarine. Mealy granny smith apples and a fine-tuning of grilled hazelnuts and honeysuckle spice set the foundation for the almost nettle like svelte texture. Aromatically evolving between gun flint, bee’s wax and meyer lemon rind. The palate is taut and precise, and finishes long with powerful elegance.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Such a bright and flinty nose, with lots of green apples, oyster shells and mineral sharpness that makes you immediately think of a fabulous Chablis Premier Cru. Zingy and linear on the dry, medium-bodied palate, with fresh yet composed acidity. Bright, but not too demanding on the palate. Beautiful poise and minerality here.
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.