Nose
Predominantly citrus, with undertones of lemon and lime. A lovely clean acid bite and nougat milk to round it out. A lovely understated creaminess from the lightly toasted oak and yeast lees.
Palate
Fraser Gallop wines are among the best value in the region, and this one is typical. The youthfully subtle bouquet has elements of cashew, almond, honey and butter while the palate is lively with mouth-watering acidity and is tense, refreshing and invigorating. A fine modern chardonnay.
Growing Conditions
A colder, longer and wetter vintage in 2016 delayed bud-burst by 3-4 weeks which had the effect of delaying flowering into a later period and missing the usual windy and hail conditions we normally see during the flowering period. Leaf and shoot removal were undertaken to provide more exposure and airflow through the canopy. This was rewarded with perfectly ripened grapes with no disease. This equates to long lasting red wines with intense colour. The average temperatures in February were cooler than normal so vintage was delayed by 2-4 weeks depending on variety. A warmer and drier April and May meant we could hang out the red grapes longer, resulting in great tannin and ripeness.
Bottling
18th Dec 2017.
Winemaking
We have made some big changes to the way we make our Chardonnays since our first vintage in 2005. Our Chardonnay is now 100% Gin-Gin clone. We are now picking into smaller, slotted bins, so that the fruit can be cooled overnight to 8 degrees. Whole bunch pressed directly to shorter wider red fermenters for settling. We no longer rack the juice but go directly to barrel, the heavy solids stick to the floor of the tank and we get relatively clear juice. Which allows a natural wild yeast fermentation. We are using 500L French Oak puncheons, with light toasting, which has had a huge effect in freshening up the fruit brightness.
Aging
5-7 Years.
