vintage & vineyard
Ellens Estate is owned by Sharon and John Molloy and is located north-west of the Margaret River township in the proposed Wallcliffe winegrowing sub-region (Burnside locality). The vineyard is on the eastern edge of Caves Road and 4km from the Indian Ocean. This strong maritime influence moderates’ maximum temperatures during the summer months allowing for an extended ripening period whilst also ensuring low humidity. When these conditions combine with cool nights, (as experienced in the 2023 vintage) this allows flavour to build over an extended time period whilst preserving acidity – a rare combination that very few Chardonnay vineyards are able to achieve. The result is a powerful Chardonnay wine but with a long, linear shape on the palate.
The wine is made exclusively off “Block 1” – 100% Gin Gin clone on their own roots. Planted in 1996 on friable, deep Forest Gravel loam soil interspersed with pea gravel, with the vines being cane pruned each year. The Gin Gin clone consistently produces the most outstanding examples of Chardonnay wines in Margaret River with the powerful flavours and structure being balanced by refreshing natural acidity. The entire Block slopes East with the vine rows running north > south. This ensures an even flavour profile, retains acid and minimises phenolic levels in the end wine by each side of the fruiting zone getting only a half day of exposure to the sun whilst being fully shaded during the most intense and potentially damaging midday heat.
The 2023 vintage in Margaret River started with the 2022 winter temperatures being cooler than the long-term average, which is fantastic for ensuring a sound dormancy for the vines to set them up for a strong growing season. There was markedly less-than-average winter rain however but enough to re-charge dams and the soil profile.
winemaking
A pure, hands-off approach was used in the making of this wine to allow the Ellens Estate vineyard character to sing. Once the decision was made to pick, the handpicked fruit was cooled overnight to 8ºC in a cool room before the cool, whole bunches were loaded into a small air bag press which is the most delicate way to release juice from the berries. This gentle pressing released the early highest quality free-run juice fraction which equated to 440L/T. The cool, cloudy juice was then transferred into barrel (228L French oak barriques from Tonnellerie Treuil) to undergo wild fermentation. Following ferment, all barrels were topped and bunged destined for maturation. The wine remained in barrel for 10.5 months and was stirred monthly to ensure the yeast remained in suspension at all times. Once the 12 barrels were blended into a stainless tank, it remained on yeast lees to mature for a further 8 months. Once balance and style were achieved the wine was bottled and matured further prior to release.
The above winemaking decisions were chosen to achieve complexity and house style in the final wine without sacrificing freshness or the potential for longevity – a rare achievement in Australian Chardonnay winemaking.
region
Margaret River
variety
Chardonnay
analysis
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- pH: 3.05
- Acidity (TA): 7.75 g/L
- Contains Sulphites.
