2009 Chardonnay

Chardonnay Cheese and Grape Board

Victory Point Chardonnay
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The elegant structure of the Victory Point Chardonnay is largely due to the combination of the Burgundian clones (76, 95, 96 & 277) together with the more traditional Mendoza clone.

The Chardonnay vines have been dry grown from planting and are showing the benefit of having developed a deep root structure, however yields have remained extremely low.

In Margaret River, the 2009 vintage was heralded with consistent, if slightly lower than usual temperatures, which, combined with no interruption from rain, were just right for the vines to maintain slow and steady ripening.

Each clone was hand picked separately, starting with #95 on 6/3/2009 at 12.6 Baume, followed by the Mendoza and 277clone on the 10/03/09 and the 76 and 96 clone on 11th March.

On delivery to the winery the whole bunches are pressed to tank for cold stabilisation, then racked to barrel for primary fermentation. Once completed the wine is racked and returned to barrels where approximately 10% was put through malolactic fermentation. Maturation occurred for approximately ten months in a mix of new (40%) and 1 year old French oak barrels.

The final blend is approximately 33% Mendoza, 20% of each clones 76 & 95 and the balance clones 96 & 277.Alcohol is 14%.

The wine was bottled with screw-cap closures February, 2010.

Tasting Notes

Colour:  Pale straw in colour with a hint of green. This hue is accentuated with a brightness that makes the colour radiate out of the glass.

Nose:  A burst of citrus fruit including grapefruit, lemon, lime plus pear, stone fruit and spicy biscuity vanillin oak along with mineral notes & roasted hazelnuts

Palate:  The palate is packed with citrus and white peach fruit flavours along with savoury oak. The texture is fine and minerally building to a fleshly mid palate and onto a long fine dry finish.

Drink: 2012 – 2016

Reviews

Decanter Magazine |

This is a true blockbuster with ripe stone fruit and toffee-vanilla oak on the nose, a balanced, elegant – though luscious – texture, crisp acidity and a long finish.

| 95 / 100 points

This is a cracking good Chardonnay from this small Margaret River producer. The nose has a dry flinty character with traces of minerals and grapefruit. A little touch of creamy cashew and roasted almonds poke in there too. The palate has a dry almost savoury character with an excellent balance of fruit and oak. Classy wine.

James Halliday Wine Companion | 96 / 100 points

Gleaming, bright green-straw; made using Burgundian clones 76, 95, 96 and 277,plus the Mendoza clone, a distinguished assemblage that has duly produced a distinguished, finely drawn and structured wine of great length and intensity; will be long lived.