Tasting Notes
Colour
Bright and brilliant with a pale green rim.
Aroma & palate
A wine that showcases the class of Chardonnay from Margaret River from an exceptional vintage. Flavours of stone fruit, rockmelon & ripe pear drive the palate with layers of complexity providing the thumb print of the Evans & Tate house style. An element of wild fermentation on solids adds aromatics such as wild herbs, tropical fruits and toasty notes. The ~60% component of MLF and extended time spent maturing on yeast lees, contributes fresh toast and malty characters along with a lovely creamy, textural complexity.
Cellaring
Best drinking for 3-8 years from vintage.
Technical
Vintage
We had a mild spring with adequate soil moisture, resulting in a slightly later season. A moderate summer led to ideal ripening conditions with little pressure in the vineyard and a lack of any major rain events during the ripening season. Consistently warm days and cool evenings made for great retention of acid within the grapes, whilst achieving optimal fruit expression.
Winemaking
The fruit was selectively picked in mid-late February and early March when each Block achieved optimum flavour intensity and balanced acid levels. The cold fruit was directly loaded into the press with this gentle handling of the cold grapes and juice being a critical step in producing the distinct style of Evans & Tate Chardonnay. Most of the juice then underwent wild fermentation on light solids with ~30% French oak used. ~60% of the blend underwent MLF to achieve texture and flavour without compromising freshness and balance. The wine remained on yeast lees for 6 months with regular stirring of these lees. Select parcels were then blended and the final wine filtered once prior to bottling.
Region
Margaret River
Variety
Chardonnay
Analysis
- Alcohol: 13.3%
- pH: 3.50
- Acidity (TA): 5.35 g/L
Food Pairings
A delicious cheese and charcuterie platter.
