A deep hue of green and gold defines this wine - one of intensity and depth. Aromas of peach, oatmeal, subtle notes of charred peat, seasoned by complex lees derived characters ('the good dirt') with flashes of matchstick. The palate has intense fruit power in the spectrum of nectarine to peach stone fruits is deftly laced with complex seasoned oak that adds a zesty orange rind and ginger component to the wine. Powerful and long, the 2012 will be more immediately appealing given the sheer unadulterated intensity of the wine. This wine is an essay in depth and balance.
"Gleaming green-gold; the bouquet has the hallmark edge of struck flint, adding immeasurably to its complexity, but also laying the way for the palate to follow; here is a chardonnay that stands apart and aloof from all other chardonnays in Australia; its power is as formidable, and as hard to explain as, a black hole in space. It just is. Talking about its balance is far easier, for there is an inexorable logic about the way the fruit, oak and acid are so seamlessly married to each other." - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2015, 98 points
"This sumptuous but evenly balanced chardonnay unfolds a complex, smoky bouquet whose fresh grapefruit, melon and white peach-like aromas are tightly knit with scents of matchstick and mineral, smoked meats and buttery, nougat-like vanilla oak backed by suggestions of musk, cinnamon and rose water. It’s long and lustrous, with sappy, mouthwatering flavours of melon, lemon and grapefruit oil seamlessly integrated into a unctuous but tightly focused palate that finishes with a gentle, soft acidity. It might lack the raw emphasis of recent vintages, but is clearly from the same site and is almost certain to develop more strength and character." - Jeremy Oliver, Australian Wine Annual 2015, 97 points
