2024 Margaret River Chardonnay
A fine, stylish Chardonnay with balanced acidity, generous flavours, and beautifully integrated minerality.
Our Chardonnay is sourced from the Wylco Vineyard, located in the pristine and cooler Karridale subregion of Margaret River, just 20 kilometres south of the township.
Handpicked and barrel-fermented, this elegant wine is aged for nine months in 30% new French oak.
A fine, stylish Chardonnay with balanced acidity, generous flavours, and beautifully integrated minerality.
Our Chardonnay is sourced from the Wylco Vineyard, located in the pristine and cooler Karridale subregion of Margaret River, just 20 kilometres south of the township.
Handpicked and barrel-fermented, this elegant wine is aged for nine months in 30% new French oak.
A fine, stylish Chardonnay with balanced acidity, generous flavours, and beautifully integrated minerality.
Our Chardonnay is sourced from the Wylco Vineyard, located in the pristine and cooler Karridale subregion of Margaret River, just 20 kilometres south of the township.
Handpicked and barrel-fermented, this elegant wine is aged for nine months in 30% new French oak.
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COLOUR
Pale straw, with a subtle green tinge.CELLARING POTENTIAL
Enjoy the youthful vibrancy and freshness within the first 5 years, or with added bottle complexity for up 15 years.NOSE
Lifted, concentrated and limey, with subtle overtones of spicey but restrained French oak.PALATE
Long and concentrated, with a backbone of fresh, zesty acidity and briny minerality. The mid palate is generous, with flavours of brioche, cashew and limes lingering on the palate. -
This wine was sourced from the Wylco vineyard some 15kms south east of Witchcliffe in the Karridale subregion which is in the south of the Margaret River wine region.
Hand picked on February 9th, which is particularly early, and in keeping with the early 2024 season.
The grapes were chilled in cool room overnight and then gently whole bunch pressed directly to a combination of old and new Latour French Oak barriques.
Fermentation commenced naturally after 2-3 days, and was undertaken at temperatures in the range of 18º-25ºC. Following fermentation the barrels were topped and allowed to sit for 2 months before the addition of sulphur.
The wines were matured using minimal batonage and then blended, and bottled in December 2024.
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VINTAGE
2024GI
Margaret River / Karridale
WINEMAKER
Richard Rowe
PICKING
Hand Picked February 9th 2024
BOTTLED
Mid December 2024
VEGAN STATUS
Vegan Certified with Vegan Australia.Alc:% 12.8
pH: 3.08
TA: 8.10g
Malic: 2.31gms/litre
F/T SO2: 35/100ppm
Barrels: Matured in 30% new Latour (French oak) barriques for 9 months -
Our Chardonnay was picked on February 9th, making this one of the earliest picks from this site in many years.
The 2023 winter was wet, followed by a warm and very dry spring and summer.
Above average temperatures, no rain and ideal growing conditions resulted in an early budburst. There was no disease pressure and abundant blossom from the adjoining marri trees (Corymbia calophylla) provided the Silvereye birds with plenty of nectar. This meant they left our precious grapes alone.
Fruit ripening was even, although quicker than in other years, and the dry conditions resulted in smaller crops with concentrated aromas and flavours.
Despite the warm season, we have produced a wine with finesse, freshness and a lovely natural acidity. This is a testament to the quality and resilience of grape growing in Margaret River.
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The Wylco vineyard is situated at latitude 34º south, at an altitude of approximately 200 metres, and on a gentle south westerly slope.
The soils are “Forest Grove Soils” which support well-balanced vine growth due to lower inherent fertility and low to moderate available water. They tend to be the shallowest soils in the region with clay and rock bases restricting root growth and moderating vine vigour.
Such soils typically produce iconic Chardonnay.
The vineyard was planted in 2000. The site enjoys a very Mediterranean climate, with typically warm dry summers and cool wet winters.
Approximately 20kms from the Indian ocean the vineyard experiences more inland weather patterns. Winds tend to be southerly and south easterly which serve to reduce the daily growing season’s daily maximums by 5ºC compared to the township of Margaret River. Furthermore these windy conditions serve to reduce vine vigour and heighten concentration and flavour.
While the daily monthly mean maximum temperature varies from 16.1º - 24.6ºC, the mean monthly minimums vary from 8.1ºC – 13.6ºC.
Annual rainfall is variable in the order of 1000-1200mm, most of this falling between May and September.