2021 Single Vineyard Chardonnay

The Deep Woods Single Vineyard Chardonnay is one of the most sought-after Chardonnay wines in Margaret River. Produced in extremely limited quantities from a small, single vineyard in Karridale, this well-known wine usually sells out within a few months of release.

With five Gold Medals and 95 Points in the Halliday Wine Companion 2023, the 2021 vintage is yet again an award-winning example of ultra-premium Deep Woods Single Vineyard Chardonnay. 

Bursting with juicy citrus, savoury fennel and rich, decadent pie crust this is a Margaret River Chardonnay that you are unlikely to forget. As Erin Larkin of the Halliday Wine Companion said, "this provides a startlingly clear view of the 'other' style of chardonnay that Margaret River does so well."

colour

Pale gold with a light green rim.

aroma

This wine brims with delicious, nutty pastry crust aromas which mingle with lifted white peach and orange blossom perfume.

palate

This is a textural wine with a vibrant, linear acidity. Juicy lemon and lime citrus fruit, fennel frond and savoury oak-driven complexities create an elegant, yet energetic wine with a long, tangy finish.

cellaring

This wine may be enjoyed on release but will reward careful cellaring for three to six years.

winemaking

The 2021 vintage was a very good Chardonnay season, with a warm summer and timely rainfall to provide excellent conditions for flavour ripeness whilst retaining natural acidity.

Fruit was hand-picked from a small vineyard site in Karridale and left overnight in a cool room. The following day the fruit was whole bunch pressed on a long, gentle cycle to avoid unwanted phenolics. The juice was then racked straight to oak hogshead and puncheons for wild fermentation. The oak regime used was 30% new. This wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation and bâttonage was only used when necessary.

region

Margaret River

variety

Chardonnay 

analysis

• Alcohol: 13.0%
• pH: 3.04
• Acidity (TA):  7.50 g/L

Crispy skin pork belly with polenta and Asian slaw, coriander and chilli.

Royal Queensland Wine Awards 2022

Melbourne Royal Wine Awards 2022

James Halliday Australian Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge 2022

Margaret River Wine Show 2022

Blackwood Valley WA Boutique and Single Vineyard Wine Show 2022

Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2022

Perth Royal Wine Awards 2022

James Suckling 2022

Fantastic aromas of sliced cooked lemons and apple with flint, crushed stone, nutmeg and spiced pear. Medium to full body. Crisp acidity. Razor sharp. Oyster shells. Steely undertones. Tangy acidity. Drink or hold.

Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion 2023

Fruit from Karridale. Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, wild ferment, very minimal bâttonage, matured on lees for 9 months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak. A cool vintage, coupled with the southern growing area of Karridale, has imbued this wine with laser acidity and precise drive in the mouth. With citrus, red apples, white peach, creamy cashews and loads of brine (with some apricot squares through the finish) this provides a startlingly clear view of the 'other' style of chardonnay that Margaret River does so well. Harnessed volume is converted into superfine layers of taut fruit. It's concentrated, but it's also glass-like, with shards of acidity and chalky phenolics. Very cool.

Ray Jordan Wine Guide 2023

This is sourced from the cooler Karridale in what was a cool vintage in Margaret River. It’s a delicately poised chardie with floral aromas displaying a little Jasmine and citrus with a crunchy chalky minerality. The palate reveals subtle savoury influences working neatly with the natural citrus crispness. Nice wine for early drinking. But very classy.

93

Stuart Knox, The Real Review 2023

Pale lemon colour. Full nose of ripe white peaches, smoky bacon, and a hint of flinty reduction. Medium bodied on the palate, tightly wound acidity keeps the stone fruits and smoked nut complexity to the core of the mouth whilst it drives long and dry into the finish.

92