Critic tasting note: "(2022) From an excellent vintage, the Art Series Chardonnay is fermented in 100% new French oak barriques, with a percentage of whole bunches in the mix. The wine is blended after 11 months in barrel. Despite that significant oak treatment, this has a gentle mealiness and creamy almond quality rather than anything overtly toasty. It seems a tad more precise than the previous vintage. There is a little buttery Brazil nut beneath, but also a certain coolness to the fruit, a hint of tangerine to peach and ripe pear. In the mouth it is medium-bodied and has very good freshness, the acid sparky and streaked with lime, that cuts through more buttery and tropical fruit flavours. Again there's salinity, and that plus the zesty citrus gives this fine definition, with a bit of grip too." - 95/100, Tom Cannavan
2019 was an excellent vintage in the Margaret River region, once again producing high-quality wines. Winter was met with cold and wet conditions. Whilst rainfall in June and July was lower than average, significant rainfall in August filled dams on the Estate. The mild start to spring delayed flowering by approximately 10 days over much of the vineyard, before the weather improved significantly and warm blue sky days were once again commonplace. A significant 52mm of rain in late January prepared the unirrigated vineyards for a perfect finish to ripening. Vintage commenced with the harvest of Riesling in the final week of February, followed soon after by Chardonnay in early March.
Winemaking
Cool destemmed fruit with some skin contact. The juice was settled for 3 days, racked and inoculated with yeast. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in new French oak barriques and the lees stirred regularly. After 11 months in barrels the various components were blended, fined, cold stabilized and bottled.
Ageing: 11 months.
Producer Tasting Notes
Purity and clarity are the hallmarks of this wine. Woven lime curd, poached pear, lemon flesh and white nectarine feature at the forefront. This vintage breathes energy with lifted Chinese star jasmine, lime blossom and ginger notes. The complexity of cinnamon quill, toasted hazelnuts, nougat, panna cotta, flint and graphite diligently lie in the background. The palate is bright and energetic, with laced mineral acidity. Bursting lemon, lime and pear skin meet oyster shell and saline notes, providing a precise corridor and direction. Gently coiled textures give lateral capacity and dimension.
