Summers Chardonnay

{Awards Tally}

Gold Medals 5
Silver Medals 16
Bronze Medals 28
Trophies 3

{Tasting Notes}

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Vineyard Range Summers Chardonnay

{THE FRUIT}

Grant selects his fruit from prime cooler climate vineyards with a large portion of the fruit picked from his Summers vineyard in Eden Valley and the remainder coming from the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills. The earlier start to vintage brought on by the dry 2007 season provided challenging growing conditions for white grapes. However the cooler regions from which this Chardonnay fruit is sourced was less affected by this dry and warmer weather and so continued to produce excellent conditions for Chardonnay. The fruit for the Summers Chardonnay was all hand picked at around 14° Baume.

{THE WINEMAKING}

The fruit was chilled and whole bunch pressed, then a combination of cultured and natural indigenous yeast ferments took place in new, and one and two year old French oak hogsheads with solids to assist with mouthfeel. Maturation was then carried out in the same oak casks that were used in fermentation; regular stirring of lees was carried out to increase the complexity of the wine until blending occurred in January 2008.

{THE COMMENTS}

The 2007 Summers Chardonnay is an elegant and luscious wine, with pale straw colouring. The wine has an intense and complex nose showing sweet ripe fruits and subtle green melons, complimented with creamy hazelnut and warm stone fruit aromas. The palate is equally enticing with a rich, creamy mouth feel and melon flavours continuing from the nose. It is beautifully balanced with integrated oak along with mineral and lime acidity, and has terrific length. It is drinking well now and will develop further complexities with correct short to mid-term cellaring. Although elegant, this wine can support full flavoured food such as Asian spiced quail with coconut rice, roasted pork loin with fennel or a creamy seafood gumbo.

{THE REVIEWS}