- Lightly oaked
- Ripe peach
- Butterscotch
- Zesty acidity
"Aromas of apricots and peaches, apple flesh and vanilla nut, there’s a light oak sweet lift and fine baking spices of oak qualities. Medium+ weighted with a satin-whipped cream texture, flavours of yellow stone fruits and cashew nut, a light wood smoke quality and refreshing acid line. Balanced, well made and ready to drink from 2023 through 2028" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Feb 2023
"Delightfully fruited and immediately appealing, the wine shows apricot, rockmelon, lemon peel and nougat notes on the nose, followed by a silky-smooth palate offering creamy texture as well as bright acidity, finishing long and delectable. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2023
"Bright, even, pale yellow. The nose is crisp and forward with aromas of apple, pear, stonefruit and a hint of spice. Medium-bodied, aromas of pear and apple lead the palate with nectarine, white spice and creamy details. The mouthfeel is smooth with good weight; balanced acidity carries subtle spice to a fruity finish. This Chardonnay is appealing with excellent fruit and weight with a creamy palate" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Apr 2023
The 2022 Stone Paddock Chardonnay is a lightly oaked wine. Showing ripe peach and apricot aromas with hints of nougat and citrus flower, the gentle influence of battonage accentuates flavours of peach and hints of butterscotch, the texture is luscious with a full rich mid palate and zesty acidity accentuated by the grapefruit citrus fruit finish.
The Chardonnay is planted on the most western part of the vineyard clones 95 and 15 are grown on a standard two cane canopy. Fruit exposure is limited to achieve excellent flavour and phenolics balance.
Several batches of machine harvested fruit were de-stemmed to press. After a slow and gentle pressing cycle the juice was settled and then fermented in stainless steel tanks at relatively warm temperatures, to minimize reductive or flinty notes. About half the wine was fermented in seasoned oak puncheons. We use selected yeast strains to create complexity and depth. The wine is kept on yeast lees for several months with regular lees stirring (battonage) to help develop complexity and richness, before blending, and filtration.
