2023 Deep Woods Reserve Chardonnay

The 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, like the vintage, is just right - flinty mineral and fine but with great latent power and acid drive. A Chardonnay for the ages.

The wine is pale straw with cream/pearl hue in colour. There is an array of complex white floral aromas that leads into scratched citrus, grilled lime and white peach. Beneath the purest of fruit, the wine holds underlying cashew paste, nori and cardamom notes that merge with fennel seed, baked pastry and lemon rind. The palate has brilliant power and tension that is balanced by the sleekest core of fruit. Incredibly long and saline this wine has an effortless journey across the palate. Flavours of white stone fruit, lemon curd and bitter lime are captured by cheese cloth like textures that evolved from whole bunch pressing and an extended time on lees.

More about the wine

A mild spring with adequate soil moisture, resulted in a slightly later season. A moderate summer led to ideal ripening conditions with little vineyard pressure. Warm days and cool evenings made for great acid retention. This assemblage of this wine is largely sourced from two premium central Wilyabrup vineyards, with additional fruit from a pristine site in Karridale. 100% Gin Gin clone. 

The fruit was hand-picked and then chilled to maintain pristine condition. A minimalist approach in the winery included whole bunch pressing, wild fermentation and sparing lees stirring in a mixture of new and seasoned French oak. The individual parcels were kept separate and aged on lees for 9 months until the final wine was blended for bottling.