Frankland Estate produces limited quantities of chardonnay sourced from low-yielding Mendoza Clone vines in the Isolation Ridge vineyard. This clone of Chardonnay is renowned for its millerandage or 'hen and chicken' combination of large and small berries in the same bunch. This results in low yields, especially where the proportion of small berries is high and, typically, produces highly concentrated flavours.
In recent vintages with the aim of making our chardonnay fresher and tighter focused we have carried out extensive trials of earlier picking dates, more careful fruit selection criteria and the use of larger barrels for oak treatment.
The current release of Frankland Estate Chardonnay reflects the lessons learned from these trials. The earlier picking dates are reflected in a more tightly focused, firmer-structured wine with higher natural acidity but no less intensity or complexity in fruit flavour. Our trials with larger barrels allowed us to obtain the textural benefits of oak treatment without running the risk of imparting too much oak flavour into the wine.
The result is an elegant, complex wine with peach, nectarine and grapefruit flavours supported by refreshing natural acidity and subtle oak.
TASTING NOTES
VARIETY Chardonnay 100%
REGION Frankland River
COLOUR Vivid gold.
NOSE Lifted toastiness complements the grapefruit and stonefruit notes. Funky hints underlying a restrained spice note.
PALATE Lively lemon zest on the front palate. Lifted citrus and white peach notes follow a complex mid palate with lovely creamy width. The acidity and nicely balanced oak run through the back palate keeping the wine lively, focused and tight.
VINEYARD
Fruit for this wine was sourced from three different locations in the Isolation Ridge vineyard at Frankland Estate. The vineyard is planted on undulating northern and eastern facing slopes and has duplex soils of ironstone gravel and loam over a clay sub soil. The vines are all from the low yielding Mendoza clone renowned for its 'hen and chicken' combination of large and small berries in the same bunch. This results in highly concentrated fruit flavours. The vine canopy is trained on a combination of vertical shoot and Scott Henry trellis to allow increased air circulation.
VINIFICATION
The fruit is lightly pressed into stainless steel tanks and allowed to settle for 24 hours. The juice is then racked off its heavy lees to 500litre French barrels for wild yeast fermentation. Some barrel stirring through fermentation and post fermentation occurred resulting in a wine with complexity and individuality. The wine was transferred out of barrel after 9 months on lees before being bottled.
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