2016 Ten Minutes by Tractor Estate Chardonnay

The Estate release is always an assemblage from a number of the Single Vineyard sites, the makeup this year was Wallis (34%), Kentucky (30%), McCutcheon (19%) and Judd (17%).

The wine was whole bunched pressed prior to fermentation using wild yeast, partial malolactic fermentation was carried out in barrel with the wine aged in a mixture of new (19%) and old French oak for 11 months.

The wine gives a youthful light yellow with a fleck of green in the glass. The nose has impact with fig and white peach enjoying a lift from flint and woodsmoke; the latter characters a hallmark of Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay.

The Estate release is a bodied Chardonnay with everything in its place, there is an enjoyable line of citrus acidity that gives colour to fuller stone fruits and the creamier almond-meal notes afforded by the partial malolactic fermentation. White peach melds with quality French oak to finish with lingering spice and a moreish mouthfeel.