2011 Tarrawarra Estate Reserve Chardonnay

The 2011 vintage has for many wineries resulted in lower alcohol wines, with the 2011 Tarrawarra Reserve Chardonnay coming in at 12.2%, with a trend of lower alcohol specifically in Chardonnay something i'm an advocate of.

The wine itself saw 25% new oak, with no malolactic fermentation, a brave move given the high acidity of the year… It worked. The wine is a wonderfully pure expression of Chardonnay with just enough secondary influences to indicate how good it will be with time in the bottle.

A light yellow in colour, the nose is youthful with citrus fruits and white peach, the palate is restrained, mineral and chalky with sour edged nectarine and subtle spices showing themselves and highlighting the need for time to allow them to unfurl and integrate with the pure fruit, and minerality of the wine.