2021 Mesa Chardonnay

colour

Light straw with golden tints.

aroma

The nose displays aromas of orange blossom and ripe, vibrant stone fruits.

palate

The palate is wonderfully balanced with juicy nectarine, lime, warm subtle oak spice and a fine natural acidity.

cellaring

This wine will be best enjoyed within five years of release.

vintage

The 2021 vintage was idyllic in the Pyrenees in Victoria, and brought ideally-timed rainfall and ripening season temperatures tracking long-term averages. Higher yields and cooler conditions lent delicious natural acidity and produced Chardonnay of outstanding quality in this region.

winemaking

Fruit was 100% hand picked and pressed directly to barrel for fermentation in largely older oak puncheons and barriques. Fermentation occurred spontaneously (wild fermentation) and there were no additives used during the fermentation process. Post-fermentation, the wine was matured for six months in barrel. Each barrel was then assessed and the most expressive ones were used in the final blend.

region

Pyrenees

variety

Chardonnay

analysis

• Alcohol: 12.5%
• pH: 3.21
• TA: 7.1 g/L

Grilled Spanish Mackerel with a lemon herb risotto.

Western Victorian Wine Challenge 2023

Jeni Port, Wine Pilot, August 2023

Before the first glass is broached, the first question here has to be: What is MESA? I looked it up, so you don’t have to. It’s Spanish for table. Spanish explorers of the American southwest used the word to describe the flat-topped hills they came across that looked like the tops of tables. The hills had steep sides worn down by erosion. Anyone who has visited the imposing 595m slopes of the Dalwhinnie vineyard at Moonambel will note a certain similarity. Dalwhinnie Chardonnay was – and is – the producer’s great white. A change of ownership to the Fogarty Wine Group in 2020 has seen the variety get a re-charge under chief winemaker, Julian Langworthy. The sense of power and substance remains, intertwined with a lovely elegance. It’s there from the first sniff of freshly zested lime, lemon curd, peach and cashew nut with a splash of quince paste. This is no lightweight. There are layers of fruit and oak to explore, buttery and textural in mouthfeel with a solid reserve of stone fruit at its heart. That citrussy fresh acid ping brings everything into focus. This wine gets your attention.

93

The Real Review 2023

Bright lemon yellow with aromas of pineapple, cut herbs and grapefruit pith in the glass. We see sweet pineapple fruit, honey roast cashews and a hint of green herbs on the palate. Medium to full, with a fine line of acidity and a touch of phenolics adding texture and flow to a good length finish.

90