Winemaker Notes
Bright pale deep straw. Fine perfumes of floral talc, pink grapefruit, lime blossom and lemongrass tea mingle with exciting savory limestone and oyster shell complexities reminiscent of the coast. Intriguing notes of classic flint, struck match, candlewax and fresh white leather round out this captivating aroma. A strong central line of acidity holds tension in this juicy body of fruit, supported by incredible phenolic powder. Nervy and taut, the pithy feel of flinty stone, lime and pink grapefruit continue to give breath to the long Heytesbury finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Complex, smoky nose of hawthorn, grilled pineapple, dried lemon, ash, flint and cedar. Full-bodied, but refined, with tight, elegant layers. Phenolic. Excellent backbone of acidity to balance the concentrated fruit and spice. Vivid and long. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Complex, smoky nose of hawthorn, grilled pineapple, dried lemon, ash, flint and cedar. Full-bodied, but refined, with tight, elegant layers. Phenolic. Excellent backbone of acidity to balance the concentrated fruit and spice. Vivid and long. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
One of the most renowned Chardonnays in Australia, the latest release is a knockout. A cool vintage allowed for gorgeous natural acidity and bright fruit to shine. Being the most cellarworthy of the Vasse Chards, Heytesbury is always structured and more oak driven when young. It opens with heady aromas of toasted nuts, flint, seashell, vanilla pod and a seaweed-like umami note amid melon and lemon curd. The palate is fabulously fresh with textural complexity, and lingering nut, saline and citrus notes on the lengthy finish.
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Vinous
Shimmering straw. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruits, saffron, chamomile and fennel, and vanilla and sweet butter notes build with aeration. Shows superb clarity and mineral cut on the palate, offering concentrated pear nectar, Meyer lemon, hazelnut, honeysuckle and candied ginger flavors and a touch of smoky lees. Emphatically echoes the mineral and floral notes on the impressively long finish, which shows noteworthy precision and spicy cut.
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Wine & Spirits
This is Gingin-clone chardonnay from the estate’s most distinctive parcels in what turned out to be a long, cool season in Margaret River. It fermented on its own yeasts and all the barrels completed malolactic conversion; that, combined with the impact of 61 percent new oak barrels, lends the wine an initial scent of caramel and butterscotch. Then notes of green pear and lime zest come up, deepening to white peach, lasting light, long and fragrant. Finely integrated, round and cool, this is a wine to cellar, or to decant for veal saltimbocca.
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Wine Spectator
Distinctive, striking an appealing balance between a core of fresh citrus flavors of pear, lime and Meyer lemon and a rich, toasty angle with nutmeg and hazelnut. There's complexity and harmony on the long, expressive finish, where a note of rooibos tea lingers.
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.
Home to some of Australia’s most elegant and long-lived red and white wines, Margaret River is situated in the farthest reaches of Western Australia. Relatively warm and dry, the region is cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Margaret River takes some inspiration from Bordeaux, producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux Blends with firm structure, mouthwatering acidity, balanced alcohol and notes of herbs and spice. For white wines, refreshing blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as complex, age-worthy Chardonnays are regional specialties.