Indeed, if the topic was unclear, this tasting was on the Chardonnays of the state of Victoria, Australia. Most of the wines came from Mornington Peninsula, which is considered to be the prime region for “Burgundian” Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in Australia. However, we had also one Pinot Gris, so this wasn’t 100% Chardonnay tasting.
After the tasting we scored the wines; every attendee had three points that one could distribute freely to the wines however they wanted to, ie. one point for three different wines, three points to one very special wine or one point for one and two points for another wine. Here is the final ranking of the wines, including the points the wines got (and my personal rating in parentheses):
#1 - 2022 Cloud St Chardonnay, 14 pts. (69)
#2 - 2021 Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay. 6 pts. (92)
#3 - 2021 By Farr Irrewarra Chardonnay, 5 pts. (93)
#3 - 2021 Ten Minutes by Tractor Wallis Vineyard Chardonnay, 5 pts. (91)
#4 - 2019 Ocean Eight Verve Chardonnay, 4 pts. (67)
#5 - 2021 Tar & Roses Chardonnay, 2 pts. (80)
#5 - 2018 Yering Station Little Yering Chardonnay, 2 pts. (82)
#6 - 2017 Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay, 1 pt. (90)
#7 - 2019 Ocean Eight Pinot Gris, 0 pts. (78)
#7 - 2021 Ten Minutes by Tractor Estate Chardonnay, 0 pts. (86)
As you can see from the points awarded to the wines and my scores, there is quite a big discrepancy between some of the wines. One of the reason to this was because the tasting was arranged by a friend of mine to his non-wino colleagues, but he also invited me and a few other wine geeks to take part as well. We could easily see how wildly the preferences differed among the crowd; almost all the non-winos simply loved the tutti-frutti fruit bomb Cloud St Chardonnay - multiple attendees actually gave all their allocated 3 points to this wine - whereas all the winos found the wine quite repulsive, tasting like cheap plonk with very little depth beyond the candy/jelly-like fermentation flavors. I guess this is what democracy gives you!
- 2019 Ocean Eight Pinot Gris - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (20.5.2024)
13,5% alcohol.
Pale yellow-green color. The nose feels somewhat atypical of the variety with aromas of smoke and salty liquorice powder, some fresh appley tones, a little bit of savory spice, light juicy notes of white peach and a herbal hint of chamomile or Pilsner-like noble hops. The wine feels crisp, neutral and somewhat austere on the palate with a medium body and quite nondescript flavors of something metallic, light pithy notes of grapefruit, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, herbal hints of chamomile and noble hops and a touch of salty liquorice powder. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine in balance. The finish is crisp, neutral and quite understated with a medium-long aftertaste of grapefruit, some tart Granny Smith apple, light herbal notes of chamomile and lager-like hops and a hint of apple peel bitterness.
A quite understated and rather atypical Pinot Gris that feels like it was made with fruit harvested way too early to preserve any freshness and acidity. The resulting wine is pretty high in acidity and not as full-bodied as Pinot Gris normally is, but also very neutral, bland and rather herbal in character. Not really what I'm looking for in a Pinot Gris. I probably would've been disappointed in this wine even if it had been labeled as "Pinot Grigio", not "Pinot Gris". The wine got 0 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on shared last place.
(78 points) - 2021 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay Estate - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from estate vineyards, harvested between March 12th and April 3rd, 2021 at Brix between 21,96 and 23,0; pH between 3,15 and 3,27; and TA between 8,5 and 12,0 g/l. Whole bunch pressed into stainless steel tanks; racked after 12-24 hours into new (12%) and used (88%) French and Austrian oak barriques and puncheons. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in oak barrels for 11 months. 58% of the wine underwent MLF. 13% alcohol, 0,8 g/l residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,24.
Youthful, pale and rather neutral whitish-green color. The nose feels a bit understated and linear with aromas of white peach, light woody tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess and a mineral hint of wet rocks. The wine feels ripe, clean and balanced on the palate with a medium body and harmonious flavors of fresh red apple, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of zesty citrus fruits, light leesy creamy notes, a hint of tart key lime and a sweeter touch of white peach. The high acidity lends quite nice sense of structure to the wine. The finish is clean and refreshing with a medium-long aftertaste of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some crunchy notes of fresh white fruits, light saline mineral notes and a hint of leesy creaminess.
A balanced but also quite linear and predictable Chardonnay. Comes across as surprisingly pedestrian, lacking the depth and complexity one might expect from a Burgundian Chardonnay, and also lacks the focus, drive and minerality one would look for in a wine made like a Chablis. This doesn't even feel particularly new world, either. This feels just like a balanced and pleasant but also quite forgettable Chardonnay that could come from anywhere. Outrageously overpriced for the quality at 47,99€. The wine got 0 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on shared last place.
(86 points) - 2021 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay Wallis Vineyard - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from the Wallis vineyard. Whole bunch pressed into stainless steel tanks; racked after 12-24 hours into 1 yo and older oak barriques and puncheons. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in oak barrels for 10 months. 13% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar, 8,0 g/l acidity.
Youthful, somewhat intense whitish-green color. The nose feels somewhat fruity and quite expressive with aromas of ripe white peach, some steely mineral notes, a little bit of fresh nectarine, light leesy notes of creaminess, a hint of cantaloupe, a touch of savory old wood and a whiff of zesty citrus fruits. The wine feels focused, structured and somewhat steely on the palate with a medium body and intense, concentrated flavors of sweet Golden Delicious apple, some fresh nectarine and white peach, light steely mineral notes, a little bit of tangy salinity, tart hints of passion fruit and lemony citrus fruit and a touch of creamy oak. The racy acidity lends good sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is crunchy and lively with a rather long aftertaste of tart Granny Smith apple, some saline mineral notes, a little bit of zesty citrus fruit, light sweeter nuances of exotic fruits, a hint of incisive steely character and a touch of leesy creaminess.
A sophisticated, structured and quite intensely flavored Chardonnay. After the rather nondescript and uninteresting TMbT Estate Chardonnay, this was obviously a big leap up in quality. Stylistically this could pass off more or less as a classically styled 1er Cru Chablis, maybe with a slightly more exotic undertone. Drinking pretty nicely now, but I can see the wine evolving and benefiting from additional aging - I'd let the wine wait at least until its 10th birthday. Maybe a tad pricey for the quality at 68,01€. The wine got 5 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on shared third place.
(91 points) - 2021 Tar & Roses Chardonnay - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay. Whole bunch pressed into French oak hogsheads (12% new) for fermentation. Aged in hogsheads for 12 months. 13% alcohol, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,32.
Medium-deep and quite intense yellow-green color. The nose feels sweet and very primary with crowdpleaser aromas of banana marshmallows and soft peach candies, some mango tones, a little bit of herbal spice, light creamy oak notes and a hint of apple jam. The wine feels round, mellow and quite primary on the palate with a full body and rather lush flavors of mango, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of apple jam, light candied notes of sweet primary fruit flavors, a hint of herbal spice and a touch of baby food. The medium-to-moderately high acidity is a bit on the soft side. The finish is sweet, round and tropical with a medium-long aftertaste of peachy stone fruits and exotic fruit flavors, some apple jam, light saline mineral notes, a little bit of nectarine, a candied primary hint of fruit jellies and a touch of creamy oak.
Not really my thing. The sweet, candied nose feels quite off-putting to me and the overall feel on the palate is pretty soft, mellow and lacking verve and energy. I guess the wine might get a bit better as it ages and loses those candied primary flavors - although I have no idea how long that will take with a screwcap closure - but no amount of aging is going to help the wine with its modest acidity. A quite disappointing effort - yet the wine managed to get 2 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on shared fifth place.
(80 points) - 2019 Ocean Eight Chardonnay Verve - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from a single vineyard in Tuerong, Mornington Peninsula. Aged in old (+5 yo) oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Pale yellow-green color. Very understated and somewhat dull nose with reticent aromas of smoky reduction, some salty liquorice powder, light skunky notes of flatulent reduction, a little bit of vague white fruit character and a hint of damp hay. The wine feels dull, mild and rather bland on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and reticent flavors of stony minerality, some ripe Fuji apple, light notes of hay, a little bit of leesy character and a hint of creaminess. The wine is moderately high in acidity. The finish is short and understated with a mild aftertaste of leesy character, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of ripe white fruit and a hint of hay.
A very mild - almost watery - and somewhat dull Chardonnay with very little depth or intensity. I actually had to concentrate quite a lot on this wine just to find that many descriptors, as I just could've just written "Doesn't really taste much of anything". The most disappointing wine in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites - yet for some reason the wine managed to get 4 points from the thirteen participants, making it finish on fourth place.
(67 points) - 2017 Kooyong Chardonnay Clonale - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from estate vineyards. Spontaneous fermentation and MLF. Aged in predominantly old French oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
Pale lime-green color. The nose feels youthful and a bit understated with aromas of zesty citrus fruits, some flint smoke notes of reduction, a little bit of ripe greengage, light stony mineral notes and a woody hint of savory oak spice. The wine feels ripe, broad and balanced on the palate with a full body and vibrant flavors of ripe white peach, some cantaloupe and Fuji apple, light reductive notes of flint smoke, a little bit of greengage, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a touch of creamy oak. The rather high acidity lends good sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is long, juicy and balanced with a vibrant aftertaste of white peach greengage, some cantaloupe, light saline mineral tones, a little bit of crunchy red apple, a reductive hint of flint smoke and a woody touch of savory old oak.
A youthful, tasty and balanced Chardonnay with a little bit of breadth and sense of concentration from the age, even if the wine doesn't really show any developed complexity in its taste or aromas. Perhaps nothing too thrilling or memorable, but nothing to complain about, either. Great sense of harmony between the rich texture, mineral nuances, pretty high acidity and ripe yet not that sweet-toned fruit flavors. Most likely the wine will continue to evolve and improve for another 10 years or so. Recommended. The wine got 1 point from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on sixth place.
(90 points) - 2022 Brand New Vintage Chardonnay Cloud St - Australia, Victoria (20.5.2024)
13% alcohol.
Pale lime-green color. The nose feels very artificial and quite unpleasant with its super-primary mélange of tutti-frutti candies, some pear drops, a little bit of pineapple juice, light notes of hay, a hint of apricot jam and a touch of minty herbal spice. The wine feels super primary and quite candied on the palate with a moderately full body and exuberant flavors of tutti frutti candies and passion fruit, some pear juice concentrate or pear drop notes, a little bit of pineapple, light saline mineral notes, a hint of salty liquorice powder and a touch of coriander seed. The moderately high acidity lends good sense of balance to the wine. The finish is dry and quite exuberant with a moderately long aftertaste of candied primary fruit flavors, some ripe pear, a little bit of pineapple juice, light pear drop notes, a hint of coriander seed and a sweet touch of fruit jellies.
This was a horrid fruit bomb that seemed more like white plonk from a bag-in-box than anything to be taken seriously. The over-the-top primary fruit aromas and flavors reminiscent of tutti frutti candies and pear drops almost made me gag - fortunately the wine had a good level of acidity to keep the wine from coming across as a completely miserable failure. The wine was, nevertheless, a huge disappointment and, to me, among the lousiest wines in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites. However, for reasons which are well beyond my comprehension, the wine got 14 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Mornington Peninsula wines, making it finish on first place.
(69 points) - 2021 Brokenwood Chardonnay Indigo Vineyard - Australia, Victoria, North East, Beechworth (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from the Indigo vineyard in Beechworth planted in 1999. The whole bunches are pressed into 100% new French 500-liter demi-muids, fermented spontaneously. Aged in new (1/3) and used (2/3) French oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.
Pale, youthful and rather colorless whitish-green appearance. The nose feels fragrant, quite expressive and rather complex with aromas of ripe Granny Smith apple and fresh peach, some smoky struck match notes of Coche-like reduction along with a little bit of toasty spice, light grilled pineapple tones, a hint of crunchy red apple and a touch of creamy oak. The wine feels dry, juicy and quite structured on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of sweet Golden Delicious apple, some saline mineral notes, a little bit of ripe citrus fruit, light smoky struck-match nuances of reduction, a hint of crunchy white currant and a touch of toasted oak spice. The high acidity lends great sense of intensity and structure to the wine. The finish is ripe, lively and crunchy with a long, acid-driven aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of spicy red apple, light crunchy notes of white currants, oaky hints of savory, toasty wood spice and creaminess and a touch of salinity.
A sophisticated, structured and quite classically styled Chardonnay that has some of that Australian ripeness, but at the same time enough freshness and focus to keep the overall feel wonderfully balanced and precise. That subtly smoky struck-match note reminiscent of Coche-Dury or PYCM only adds to the charm. A lovely wine with lots of upside; although the wine drinks really well right now, I can imagine the wine will perform even better after another 10-15 years. Terrific stuff. The wine got 6 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on second place.
(92 points) - 2021 By Farr Chardonnay Irrewarra - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from a 2-acre (0,8 ha) vineyard planted in 2001. Fermented spontaneously, full MLF. Aged for 11 months in oak barrels. 13% alcohol and 6,7 g/l acidity.
Youthful, medium-deep lime-green color. The nose feels youthful, fresh and nuanced with aromas of greengage and creamy oak, some ripe pear, a little bit of woody oak spice, light floral nuances, a hint of leesy character and a mineral touch of chalk dust. The wine feels youthful but not primary, balanced and somewhat concentrated on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of ripe white fruits and greengage, some Fuji apple, light creamy oak tones, a little bit of floral spice, mineral hints of salinity and wet rocks and a touch of sweet oak spice. The bight, racy acidity lends good sense of freshness, structure and intensity to the wine. The finish is long, ripe and nuanced with a juicy aftertaste of white peach and greengage, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light floral nuances, a hint of spicy red apple and a faint, smoky touch of toasted wood.
A balanced, attractive and classically styled Chardonnay that wouldn't be out of place in Burgundy. Good sense of ripeness and vibrant fruit counterpointed by subtle floral nuances, intertwining mineral notes and a gentle kiss of oak. The wine is starting to drink wonderfully now, but I can see the wine evolving and improving for another 5-7 years. As the wine is bottled under a natural cork (!), I suspect it won't call for as much aging as it would had it been stoppered with a screwcap. Not particularly affordable at approximately 50€, but manages to deliver for the price - this is surprisingly serious stuff. The wine was not only my favorite, but it also got 5 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on shared third place.
(93 points) - 2018 Yering Station Chardonnay Little Yering - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley (20.5.2024)
100% Chardonnay from Yarra Valley. Aged in stainless steel and old oak barrels. 12,6% alcohol.
Pale, quite neutral and rather colorless whitish-green color. The nose feels rather ripe and sweetly-fruited with youthful aromas of juicy nectarines and white peaches, some honeydew melon, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a little bit of Fuji apple and a hint of creaminess. The wine feels quite ripe, somewhat broad and a bit mild on the palate with a moderately full body and slightly understated flavors of juicy white peach, some notes of leesy creaminess, light mineral notes of wet rocks and a hint of honeydew melon. The finish is round and mellow with a rather short aftertaste of white peach, some leesy creaminess, light crunchy notes of fresh Fuji apple and a hint of stony minerality.
A quite linear and a bit underwhelming Chardonnay. Lacking in intensity and sense of structure - the somewhat modest acidity makes the wine feel pretty round, mellow and lackluster. Although the 2017 vintage I tasted some time ago was just good but nothing special, it was still a lot more interesting compared to this bottle. It doesn't seem that the wine has faded with age as the overall feel is still quite youthful - the biggest problem by far is the rather low level of acidity that makes the wine feel so dull and blowzy in every way. The wine got 2 points from the thirteen participants in our tasting of ten Victoria region whites, making it finish on shared fifth place.
(82 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
