Winemaker Notes
Although the vintage period was difficult with the periodic rains, Sticks' vintages were harvested on the basis of flavor ripeness and acid balance and, as a result, were generally unaffected by the weather. This has allowed them to make wonderfully approachable wines with plenty of flavor.
Fermentation was completed in French and American oak, then aged on light yeast lees to develop creaminess and integrated flavors. A portion of malolactic fermentation has added complexity to this flavorsome Yarra Valley chardonnay.
The color is vibrant medium straw with green tinges. Golden hues will develop with extended cellaring. The bouquet possesses distinctive, cool climate aromas of citrus, grapefruit and nectarine, balanced by nuances of toasted hazelnuts and vanillan oak. The palate has subtle stonefruit and citrus flavors, with a balanced, rich creamy texture and lively acidity. Cellar with confidence for at least five years to enhance complexity and depth of flavor.
Professional Ratings
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.