Nose
Light notes of pineapple, grapefruit and crunchy nectarine
purity provide a bright fruit base. French oak and time on yeast
lees contribute delicious secondary layers of ginger, vanilla
biscuit, almond meal and lemon curd.
Palate
Light and fine, in touch with delicate citrus flavour, a hint
vanilla biscuit and a zesty polished acid tang. It delivers a spotless
palate that evokes a mouth-watering, river stone dryness coupled
to a fine savoury, silky texture
Growing Conditions
Vasse Felix Chardonnay is typified by its bright, elegant fruit,
subtle wild complexities and a tight acid structure, reflecting the
vibrancy and purity of this variety in Margaret River. 'Filius'
translates to 'son of' in Latin, reflecting the relationship between
this wine and its premier 'father'.2017 was a cooler and later vintage than the previous 10 years; a
year of elegant, perhaps slightly lighter bodied wines, though ripe
in flavour, vibrant and very perfumed. Higher than average yields
in combination with a cooler season contributed to delayed
ripening of the fruit and good acid retention. Some timely
warmth and sunshine occurred throughout January, although
February temperatures remained moderate with some rainfall.
With the cooler weather, canopy management and fruit thinning
was imperative to mitigate disease pressures and allow for even,
persistent ripening. There was a warm start to March to finish the
white harvest, followed by the driest April since 1982, finishing
the reds beautifully.
Winemaking
All parcels were treated in respect of the unique qualities coming
from each of our vineyard sites; natural fermentation with varying
solids levels, fine French Oak and battonage programs were
tailored to each individual batch. Following 8 months of
maturation in oak, the parcels of vibrant fruit and elegant fruit
weight with complexity, were combined to create a unique
varietal Chardonnay from Margaret River. For the second year in
a row, we underwent MLF due to high acidity at harvest.
Appearance
Bright pale straw colour.
