Nose
A layered, complex aroma with stonefruit, pear and citrus notes with seductive fresh toast, dried herbs and malty aromas from wild fermentation on solids in new French oak barrels.
Palate
The palate shows the remarkable fruit sweetness, intensity and persistence that is a hallmark of the best Margaret River Chardonnays. This fruit intensity is matched with lovely texture and savoury elements from the time spent maturing in new French oak puncheons, balanced with fresh, natural acidity.
Harvest
A prolonged cool and wet growing season meant the vines were lush and healthy heading into ripening. This resulted in later harvest dates, accentuated by the cool and wet ripening months; conditions not experienced in Western Australia for more than ten years. These conditions, coupled with the absence of heat events, produced highly aromatic whites with good natural acidity. A very dry April allowed the last of the white varieties to achieve full ripeness, providing optimum conditions for picking.
Winemaking
The fruit was picked according to when flavours peaked in each block. At perfect ripeness, the fruit was selectively hand-picked at dawn, before being hand loaded into an airbag press and gently squeezed. The free-run juice was continuously tasted until an optimum point was reached which ensured only juice of the finest quality was used in the blend.
All juice went straight from the press into new French oak puncheons to undergo wild fermentation. Following fermentation, the wine remained in barrel for 7–10 months, with monthly lees stirring to provide texture and mouthfeel. Each batch, and each barrel type within each batch, was carefully assessed for inclusion in the final Redbrook blend. The wine was then stabilised and filtered once prior to bottling and maturation prior to release. This minimal handling has produced a unique, delicate Redbrook Chardonnay style that will develop great complexity over time.
Appearance
Light gold, with a fresh, green rim.
Food Pairing
Baked red snapper with garlic and thyme butter.
