2019 Murdoch Hill The Rocket Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
A$76.55
Availability:
Out of stock
SKU
B15450V19
Michael Downer's refined style of Adelaide Hills Chardonnay has seen him scoop another gong, 2017 Gourmet Traveller's Young Winemaker of the Year. This wine is Downer's first step on the rung, sourced from premium vineyards from the Lobethal district, Oakbank and the Piccadilly Valley. Each small parcel is chosen to provide a different, complementary silhouette, with the idea to bottle something greater than the sum of its parts. The fruit was hand-picked then kept in cold storage at two degrees for several days. The grapes were whole bunch and whole berry pressed straight to barrel with a mix of barriques and puncheons with 15% new. Following, the juice was fermented naturally with a little malolactic fermentation--a small selection sees partial malo to add complexity and soften the wine's refreshing, crunchy acidity.
A cull of the best barrels, the fruit hailing from two propitious sites in the Piccadilly Valley and lower, at Lobethal. Fermented wild in tight-grained French barriques and puncheons for 10 months (50% new). Malolactic (75%) serviced a softening while imbuing poise. Judging by this, all chardonnay makers should use this ilk of wood from whatever coopers it came from. This is sexy wine. Impeccable. Subdued, yet searing of the sort of intensity of flavour that augurs for the brightest of futures. Writing of fruit references here is pointless. This wine is about texture, indelibly imprinted with a sense of place and the finest craftsmanship. Deservedly at the top of the tier.
97 points James Halliday winecompanion.com.au
| Product/Service Sold Out | Yes |
|---|---|
| En Primeur | No |
| New Arrivals | No |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Wine Style | Minimal Intervention/Natural |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Adelaide Hills |
| Varietals | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Wine Points | 97 |
Write Your Own Review