Nose
Delicate scent of white field flowers and citrus oils enriched with minerals, nutmeg spice and caramel.
Palate
A pliable core of citrus, peach, honeydew enveloped in a fine nut-meal texture with a crème brulee richness. A distinct and soft flint/mineral acidity finishes the wine.
Growing Conditions
Another challenging yet rewarding vintage for the premium, southern grape- growing regions of Western Australia. Winter rainfall was close to the long term average. The growing and ripening seasons, while largely warm and dry were punctuated with rains and windy conditions that did affect set and kept yields low in our Chardonnay clones. The mild end to the season saw all varieties ripen perfectly with high natural acidity and fine fruit structure.
Winemaking
All the individual vineyards that contribute to the Flint Rock Chardonnay are vinified separately. Each batch is hand-picked at between 12.2 to 12.5 ºBe and cooled over night before sorting and whole bunch pressing to extract the free run juice. Fermentation and malo-lactic occurs in a combination of older French oak and tank. Temperature of fermentation is controlled between 18ºC to 22ºC and the lees are stirred regularly from the end of fermentation and throughout the malo-lactic. After 12 months in barrel, the wine is blended to tank and held for 2 months prior to fining and filtration. Bottling occurs in May of the year post the vintage and is released after sufficient bottle maturation.
Food Pairing
Char-grilled marron, smoked chicken salad, brie and pistachio nuts.
