In 1990, Guy and Sandra Vinden purchased 25 acres of land in the lower Hunter Valley. Fast forward 25 years and their son Angus is now heading both the vineyard and their small winery and is a rising young star of the region. They have been awarded “Dark Horse” status by James Halliday, his way of highlighting up and coming producers, as well as giving them the top 5 Star Rating.
The Hunter Valley is going through a purple patch at the moment, as people have come back to medium bodied styles of Shiraz, which the Hunter has always produced. Couple this with their world class Semillon and a style of Chardonnay that fits perfectly between the lean cool climate style and the old fashioned style of yester-year. Yes the Hunter is back and Vinden estate is a great example.
The 2017 Vinden Chardonnay is sourced from the Summerville vineyard in Broke; a later ripening block, as it is a cooler site than the typical Hunter vineyard. The fruit is 100% barrel fermented with malolactic in French oak; (20% new for 10 months, the remainder consisting of 1-5 year old French oak). During the 10 month maturation, bâtonnage (The stirring of the lees whilst in the barrel) was conducted every month to build complexity, weight and texture. A delicious wine and a meeting of the two styles, perfectly fitting in the middle. Big and bold on one hand, but everything in balance with great acidity and freshness. It shows lemon curd and ripe stone fruit with some very classy oak on the finish. A beautiful glass of wines with a mouth-watering finish.