i’ve always had a major soft spot for hunter valley chardonnays. 2021 was an atypical vintage being cooler than we have experienced for some time.

the colder summer has led to a more restrained style which would suit medium to long term cellaring for those who enjoy ageing wines.

when the grapes came in they had a green/golden colour to them and higher acid levels than normal. we decided to make the wine in 500l french oak casks as opposed to 300l barrels which we’ve used in the past. this gives the wine a new oak flavour, but spreads the character more thinly over the fruit which suited 2021 chardonnays well.

the wine is medium bodied, with characters like cashews and white peach on the nose.

this is a wine i’d like to see given some time to develop before people get too carried away drinking it. i wouldn’t be jumping in to it until at least 2023 but it is selling fast so i wouldn’t wait until then to secure some.