2020 Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
A$36.55
Availability:
Out of stock
SKU
ASHCHA206
When Stephen George first planted his three-hectare Ashton Hills vineyard in the early 1980s, 12 different varieties went into the ground. Years of trials led to the removal of most of these vines and today only Pinot Noir and Riesling remain. This Chardonnay is therefore not off the Estate vines, although the source block isn’t far away. This limited release comes from a small parcel of fruit from the Chapel Valley Block, adjacent the old Piccadilly cemetery, just a short hike down the road.
Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed direct to puncheon and barrique (with maximum solids), wild fermentation and then the wine is kept on lees for as long as possible to build texture and complexity. The malo is spontaneous (40% completed this year) and there was a little bâtonnage prior to bottling, which occurred without filtration.
A limited release chardonnay from two selected Piccadilly Valley sites. Ferment was sparked by indigenous yeasts and the wine aged in Burgundian oak (predominantly puncheons) both old and new for eight months.
White peach and fresh green apple along with Jasmin, Crème Brulee and a hint of spice from French oak. Yellow peach and stone fruits are carried across the palate by a mouth-watering acid drive. A hint of lemon pith phenolics provides the wine with lovely texture. This chardonnay drinks well now and reward careful cellaring for 10 years or more
From 2 sites across the valley, wild fermented, matured in a mix of old and new Burgundian barrels. But forget the technical. This is straight-out-of-the-blocks pure and delicious chardonnay, with just the right amount of all the elements fitting exactly together: exact ripeness in the white stone-fruit flavours, citrus acidity, oak-encouraged creaminess and finishing pithy texture. Purity, refreshment, A-list.
97 points Tony Love winecompanion.com.au 12 August 2021
| Product/Service Sold Out | Yes |
|---|---|
| En Primeur | No |
| New Arrivals | No |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Wine Style | Traditional |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Adelaide Hills |
| Varietals | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Wine Points | 97 |
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