Australia’s most isolated wine region, on the continent’s westernmost
edges, Margaret River is better known for Cabernet than Chardonnay. But the same cool-climate credentials that have led to excitable comparisons with Bordeaux are a bonus when it comes to
Chardonnay as well.
The soils are gravelly limestone that drains well (remind you of anywhere?) and the climate is very definitely maritime, with a strong influence from the cold-streamed Southern Ocean. Again, like Bordeaux, wind can be an issue, especially during fruit set, and the finest vineyards are located on gravelly, low-lying ancient riverbeds.
In terms of the style of Chardonnay, Walter Speller warned the sommeliers to prepare themselves for a surprise.
‘It’s very contrary to what people think of as the typical Australian Chardonnay,’ he said. ‘It’s not big and buttery at all. We’re talking white fruit and citrus – lemon and lime rather than tropical characters, alongside a fine, piercing, ripe acidity.’
Our sommeliers tasted three different examples and were almost uniformly impressed, and indeed, as Speller had predicted they might be, they were quite surprised. The wines were different in age, weight and style, but there was definitely a common thread. ‘The common denominator is citrus,’ said Laurent Chaniac from The Cinnamon Club. ‘It works very well with the minerality.’
This minerality wasn’t masked by overworking of the lees, either. While many wines had extended lees contact, lees-stirring and malolactic fermentation are less common in Margaret River, meaning a fresher, more top-noted type of white. ‘Like expensive white Burgundy,’ said Speller, ‘the wines shouldn’t be served too cold.’
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ADELAIDE HILLS
Our second classic Chardonnay wine region was the Adelaide Hills. Vines were planted
here around 170 years ago, making it a much older wine region than its Western Australian counterpart. And where Margaret River is flat, the Adelaide Hills have altitude on their side, with some
vineyards as high as 550m. In fact, it can be so cool that historically, Sauvignon Blanc has been the dominant white grape, with Chardonnay coming to the fore only relatively recently.
‘It has an enormous effect on the day and night temperatures,’ said Speller. ‘It really cools off once the sun drops, which lets the vines rest.’
The various slopes, on soils of sandy loam and clay loam, also allow for a wide variety of exposures and mesoclimates.
In terms of Chardonnay, Speller pointed out that while many of the wines still show citrus notes, there are typically more tropical notes as well. Acidity is broad, but well integrated into the richer fruit, and typically our sommeliers could expect to see some malolactic handling.
The sommeliers agreed. Igor Sotric, of China Tang, found the wines ‘more approachable’, while Bluebird’s Olivier Gasselin noted that they ‘all have big flavours.’
Certainly, the longer hang time of the Adelaide Hills grapes meant that the wines in the line-up were far from lacking in intensity, and a number of the tasters were intrigued about how such
intense
– but well-structured – beasts might change with age.
‘These wines demonstrate that Australian Chardonnay offers a variety of styles,’ reflected Speller. ‘These wines are really appetising – and they want food!’
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| SOMMELIER COMMENTS | |
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‘The Adelaide Hills flight
was fuller and more tropical than the Margaret River one. They were well-balanced, but richer.’
‘There was more diversity in the
three wines from Adelaide Hills than the three from Margaret River – the latter were more uniform in style.’
‘This has been a really useful exercise.
Australian wines are growing in the UK, and we need to start thinking about them as regions in their own right, not just calling them all “New World”.’
‘There were a lot of good
regional characteristics, especially in the Chardonnays.’|
THE TASTING We set our sommeliers loose on a blind flight of Chardonnays from the Yarra Valley, Margaret River, Adelaide Hills and Mornington Peninsula and asked them to score them and pick out any wines that they thought would be particularly food-friendly. To help them with the latter task, Brett Graham, Australian head chef from The Ledbury, made two dishes to pair with the wines: scallops on liquorice with spices and fennel purée, and baked potato Rossini. |
85 Ten Minutes by Tractor McCutcheon Vineyard Chardonnay 2007, Mornington Peninsula
Citrusy lemon-and-grapefruit nose, with a soft, subtle viscosity, attractive broad acidity and great length. ‘Good texture, honeyed and rich white fruits,’ said Alain Lee.
£19.85, H&H Bancroft, 020 7232 5440
82 McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Chardonnay 2008, Margaret River
This wine was characterised by its rounded mouthfeel and juicy nectarine flavours, as well as a hint of vanilla. A bold wine, tasters thought, but well balanced. ‘It’s exotic, and there’s oak there,’ said Olivier Gasselin. ‘But it’s polished, too.’
£10.38, Louis Latour Ltd, 020 7409 7276
81 Leabrook Chardonnay 2006, Adelaide Hills
Opulent, exotic and tropical on the nose, with stone fruits, banana and mango. Attractive oily texture on the palate, yet with a hint of cleansing greenness on the finish. ‘Good citrusy aftertaste,’ said Alvaro Marcos Garcia.
£15.72, Hallgarten Druitt, 01582 722 538
81 Stonier Chardonnay 2007, Mornington Peninsula
This had luscious melon and baked-apple characteristics on the nose, with broader hints of oatmeal as well. Citrus flavours punch through on the finish. Igor Sotric was not alone in praising its attractive broad acidity.
£10.05, Bibendum, 020 7722 5577
80 De Bortoli Estate Grown Chardonnay 2006, Yarra Valley
Lighter, gentler style with rather more restrained fruit style. Some exoticism to the flavours, but also a refreshing, delicate appley character that won over many tasters.
£9.40, De Bortoli, 01725 516 467
78 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay 2007, Mornington Peninsula
Creamy, oaty nose, with flavours of fresh pineapple and lychee. Behind this, however, there was a suggestion of earthy minerality. ‘Good length, and excellent acidity,’ praised Nicola Thomson, from Practical Matters.
£14.95, Bibendum, 020 7722 5577
77 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay 2007, Margaret River
A leaner, grassier, more citrusy style that opens out gently on the palate. ‘Fresh, well-balanced, and with a long finish,’ said Alvaro Marcos Garcia.
£11.50, Domaine Direct, 020 7837 1142
77 Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X Chardonnay 2007, Mornington Peninsula
Big toast, and a lot of intensity here, with ripeness, toast and opulence. ‘This has real by-the-glass possibilities,’ said Alain Lee.
£13.50, H&H Bancroft, 020 7232 5440
78 Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2006, Margaret River
This was more vegetal in style – greener and fresher, with definite lemongrass and citrus flavours. ‘But fairly silky and mineral,’ said Olivier Gasselin.
£11.27, Justerini & Brooks, 020 7208 2508
74 Xanadu Chardonnay 2008, Margaret River
Bright fruit, good intensity, opulence and freshness. Peaches, citrus and a slight savoury kick.
£8.64, Enotria, 020 8961 4411
73 Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 2005, Mornington Peninsula
Pungent limes and lemons with stone-fruit mid-palate and light toastiness.
£15.65, Great Western Wines, 01225 322800
68 Yering Station Chardonnay 2005, Yarra Valley
Fresh tropical fruits like pineapple, alongside a definite smoky oak character.
£8.64, Enotria, 020 8961 4411
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BEST FOOD WINE
Yering Station Chardonnay 2005, Yarra Valley BEST-VALUE WINE McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Chardonnay 2008, Margaret River, £10.38, Louis Latour Ltd |
| SOMMELIER COMMENTS | |
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‘Some of these Chardonnays were
excellent with the food – McHenry Hohnen with the Rossini potatoes, Yering Station with the scallops. It’s good to see Australia focusing on wines that work well with
food.’
‘There were some great wines
here, and they really showed off the regionality. Stylistically, I’m a big fan of Margaret River. I love that citrus with minerality, and they have ageing potential for 10-12 years,
too. The best wines would work with spicy food because they rely on concentration, not oak, for their weight.’
‘If you want to be a good
ambassador for the wines, you need good knowledge – the more information you can give, the easier it is for the customer. We got some good information today.’
‘I was pleasantly surprised by
the Chardonnays. Apart from Adelaide Hills you do tend to lump them all together, but there’s obviously real regional potential’
‘There were a couple of
standouts in the Chardonnays. My favourite individual wine was from the Yarra, though I liked the Mornington Peninsula flight best overall. Both regions, I thought, leaned to the
European style.’|
FOOD AND WINE MATCHING TIPS from Ledbury chef Brett Graham |
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‘Given Chardonnay’s fuller weight and with the influence of oak, I could introduce more layered, complex flavours like liquorice and spice to
the scallop canapé. Rich potato Rossini works well with savoury interpretations of the variety, with its dry freshness cutting through the foie gras.’ |
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OFFERS TO SOMMELIERS |
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DOMAINE DIRECT
ENOTRIA
H&H BANCROFT
LAYTONS/JEROBOAMS
LIBERTY WINES |
Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine - January / February 2010
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