Description
This Wombat Creek Vineyard is farmed organically and is at the top of the mountain in Gladysdale, Yarra Valley (420 meters in elevation). In cool years such as 2022, organic management can be challenging, but the vineyard is on the way to certification. The 2022 Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay ended up being just half the volume of the Wombat Creek Vineyard (four puncheons, which is nothing new, as opposed to eight puncheons in the Applejack) and was taken out of oak four weeks earlier than the other cuvées. Only one of these Wombat Creek puncheons went through malolactic fermentation (i.e., 25% overall). The 2022 Wombat Creek Vineyard Chardonnay leads with a dusty, rocky, spicy nose layered with sandalwood, lemongrass, lemon pith and brine. In the mouth, the wine is tense and full; it’s loaded with flavor and texture. The phenolics have a glassy texture through the mid-palate onward, and the vineyard is planted to I10V1 with a little bit of clone 76. This is a lovely wine. It is fleshy and sapid. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
- Country: Australia
- Region: Victoria
- Appellation: Port Phillip
- Sub Appellation: Yarra Valley
- Size: 750ml
- Color: White
- Alcohol by Vol: 13.0%
Varietal
Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
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