Yarra Valley, Australia
This winery is a fantastic collaboration between Winemaker – Mac Forbes, Sommelier, Matthew Dunne and Importer Nicholas Crompton. They really have everything covered. The wines are sensational as well. Mac Forbes concentrates on single vineyard wines from the Yarra and this Chardonnay has been sourced from the very famous Lusatia Park Vineyard. There are a number of wine labels bearing this famous vineyards name and Drake Samson can be added to that list. Only 70 cases of this wine were made, or roughly one tonne.
The vineyard was planted in 1985 to the P58 Chardonnay clone and it has consistently delivered refined and elegant fruit with great intensity of flavour. A combination of intensive hand cultivation, low yields, cool climatic conditions and volcanic rocky soil adds to the special mystique of this vineyard. The fruit was handpicked and de-stemmed before maturation for six months in French oak, (15% new) before bottling and minimal sulphur addition. The idea was to let the quality fruit shine through with minimal winemaking tricks. 2013 was a warmer vintage, 2 weeks earlier than normal.
Cool Climate Chardonnay from Australia is the new black and this wine is a great example. A fine, tight nose with aromas of white peach and a hint of melon. The palate is elegant and driven by fine acidity, with a depth of stone fruit flavours beginning to express themselves. You forget how enjoyable good Chardonnay can be, there is so much flavour and complexity, yet it has this linear acidity that holds everything together.