Nose

Our inaugural Prize Catch Chardonnay opens with an intensely lifted
bouquet of fresh stonefruit and citrus. Subtle vanilla bean and crème brulee
aromas complete a stylish aroma profile.

Palate

The pure and intense palate is full of bright citrus flavours that are
perfectly balanced by a wonderful slice of mouth-watering acidity. This Chardonnay
has impeccable purity and length of flavour and is the epitome of great
Margaret River Chardonnay

Growing Conditions

The Margaret River wine region enjoyed excellent spring growing conditions
with plenty of sunshine and warm weather, providing good flowering and fruit
set. Abundant Marri flowering in the region meant very little bird pressure and
very little netting required in the vineyard. Warmer than average temperatures
accelerated ripening ad flavour development during the lead up to vintage,
bringing or first harvest date for the season forward to the last week of January,
in order to retain acidity and aromatics in the wines. Vintage 2012 began
approximately three weeks earlier than the regional average and is set to be
yet another golden vintage for the region.

Winemaking

Prize Catch Chardonnay Gin-Gin clone fruit was handpicked on 9 February in
the cool of morning and transported to the winery where it was further chilled
to approx 5 degrees celcius before pressing.
The first 200 litres per tonne were selected as the Prize Catch component. Following
pressing the juice was rough settled without the use of clarification enzyme
before being transferred to new French Oak Barriques for fermentation. A slow
and steady wild yeast barrel fermentation followed for approx 10-14 days. Fermentation
temperatures were regulated between 18 and 25 degrees celcius.
For two months following fermentation the barrels were regularly stirred onlees
to breed further texture and complexity into the wine. After eight months
of careful barrel maturation the Prize Catch Chardonnay was taken out of barrel.
A light fining and filtration was performed on the wine prior to bottling in
January 2013.

Aging

5-7 years.

Appearance

Bright Straw.