2022 Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay 100%Region: Margaret River 100%Sub Region: Karridale
Cellaring Potential: This wine is drinking beautifully now and over the next 3-5 years.
Colour: Pale straw
Bouquet: Complex aromas of citrus, toasted oatmeal, and stonefruit, are enhanced by a soft toasted vanilla and warm spicy oak nuance seen from barrel fermentation and maturation in seasoned French oak barriques.
Palate: Ageing on lees for 9 months has further enhanced a creamy, long and soft finish.

Gold Medal 2023 James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge (95 points)
Gold Medal 2023 Perth Royal Wine Awards (95 points)
Silver Medal 2023 Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show (92 points)
Silver Medal 2023 Wine Show of Western Australia
Bronze Medal 2023 Cowra Wine Show (87 points)
Bronze Medal 2023 Sydney Royal Wine Show (87 points)
Bronze Medal 2023 International Wine & Spirits Competition

"Beautiful core of fruit. Detailed. Long. Fine." - 2023 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay Challenge

"Flavour plenty of acid, good balanced ripe concentration, solid, white flowers, a different style." - 2023 Perth Royal Wine Show Awards

"Good Gear with a nod to grapefruit, lemon and a touch of lime oil with a dash of ginger powder. It's soft and giving across the palate; some creamy lees add to the weight, just finishing short as the acidity is way in the background, which is surprising. Still, nice drinking here." 91 points - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

"An excellent value for money chardonnay offering plenty of deep flavour. Opens with a citrus and stone fruit mix on the nose. Then the palate lifts with stone fruit and a bright lemony acidity. Trace of grapefruit adds to an appealing wine for drinking in the next couple of years." 90 Points - Wine Pilot

Viticulture
 
The vineyard is planted on Karri loam gravel soils with underlying laterite. Vine rows run east /west down a gentle east facing slope and are clone Gin-Gin with trellis structured to vertical shoot positioning. The vineyard is subject to the cool Southern Ocean breezes and ripens slowly, evenly and with naturally high acidity.

Winemaking

Sourced from the Warner Glen Vineyard in the Karridale sub region of Margaret River, our 2022 Flying Fish Cove Chardonnay was crafted in a premium style that delivers maximum fruit expression and complexity with low new oak influence.
 
The grapes were hand harvested and chilled overnight prior to whole bunch pressing directly to barrel with varying levels of fruit solid inclusion.
 
The wine was allowed to spontaneously ferment in seasoned barrels.
Primary ferment progressed over two weeks with occasional stirring to suspend the yeast. Then allowed to naturally proceed through secondary ferment.
 
Following ferment, the barrels were topped monthly and stirred under protective conditions which added texture and complexity to the wine.
After 9 months of careful barrel maturation the Chardonnay was blended and a light fining and filtration was performed prior to bottling.

Salty thyme garlic lemon butterflied whole chicken flame grilled.

Technical details
Alc%: 13.1%
pH: 3.17
TA: 8.23g/L
RS: Dry