2017 Garagiste Terre Maritime Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula

The inaugural release of this new bottling, Terre Maritime is drawn from a few rows of Chardonnay sited in the top corner of the Merricks Grove vineyard. It’s a white equivalent to the Terre de Feu bottling. Unlike the majority of the vineyard, the vines from which this wine is sourced are rooted on brown soils as opposed to the more typical reddish dirt. So it’s less vigorous and the bunches and berries are smaller and their juice is more intense. The parcel also faces slightly eastwards, offering the vines in this cooler, more sheltered aspect. The Garagiste boys have long wondered what this parcel would do if it was made separately and now we have the answer. The parcel was managed with extra care over recent years with this cuvée in mind, and the wine produced has tremendous class and textural depth, with pronounced florals and a saline edge that brings wonderful freshness. In short, it’s very different! This first release was raised in a single, 1-year-old 500-litre puncheon and one seasoned barrique.

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