Vasse Felix
Vasse Felix Chardonnay
Margaret River
$41.45
Min. Quantity: 3
The Vasse Felix Chardonnay is a quintessential Margaret River Chardonnay, made from a selection of Vasse Felix’s premier plots of powerful Chardonnay. Made in the modern Margaret River style of elegance, power and restraint, with the wild complexity which distinguishes Vasse Felix Chardonnay. A lovely waxy, green tea candle note lifts in the subtle white peach, pear and green plum perfume, accompanied by complex floral aromas of Jasmine and chamomile and sexy hints of rock flint and vanilla bean. More savoury complexity will develop with time in the bottle. The wine has a lovely rich core framed by a delicate dry structure. The satin palate features complex flavours of purified lemon, a hint of ginger, custard and delicate peach, and finishes with a lovely dry, chalky feel. Margaret River Chardonnay at its best.
Expert Reviews & Awards
"While this does not hold back on the flavour front, it still has electrifying acidity and detail, as is the way with this producer. It’s flinty, citrusy, tangy and juicy with the palate full of grapefruit and white peach and texture via a slip of luscious lees and high-toned oak, which is superbly integrated. It’s a chardonnay that offers immediate pleasure without a second thought, and, yet, it lingers, it’s seductive, and you want to come back for more. So I did." (95 points, on the
Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points March 2024 (JF).
Winemaking Notes
Rapid ripening through January following a delayed season from spring conditions saw the flavours and sugars lift quickly. The Gingin clone fruit retained fantastic acidity which suggested most plots desired completion of a natural MLF. Some sections were hand-harvested, gently whole-bunch pressed and transferred to French oak barriques as unclarified juice for fermentation. The balance were selectively harvested and direct pressed with very high solids juice racked to barrel. All batches were fermented with natural yeasts from the vineyard. Each batch was left on lees in barrel for 8 months of maturation with an additional 6 months blended in the cellar
for harmonisation before being bottled. Only Premier Cru Chardonnay sections were selected which included 84% Gingin clone and 16% Bernard clones 95, 96 and 76. The Wallcliffe vineyard plots dominated in this rapid ripening year, however fantastic Premier sections from Wilyabrup also made the grade, alongside portions from our Carbanup and Karridale vineyards.
Variety
About Chardonnay
Chardonnay This famous French variety is easily the most recognised and enjoyed white wine worldwide. Chardonnay has been grown in, experimented with and been successfully adapted to just about every wine-producing region on earth. Chardonnay offers diverse styles from the lean, steely structured, crisp and clean styles, to the more rich, full bodied examples, often enhanced by toasty vanillin oak characters. Chardonnay offers a wonderful spectrum of flavours, from those of lemon and apple through to exotic, tropical fruits and spices. It seems there is a chardonnay to please just about every palate! So what makes it so appealing? Wine consumers love it! Chardonnay offers a range of styles, from crisp ‘Chablis' style examples, to rich and buttery versions. Viticulturists love it! It grows well in a range of climates and soils. It achieves a good level of ripeness, is impervious to disease and apart from spring frosts, climatic threats are limited during the passage of the vineyard year through good vineyard management. Winemakers love it too! Chardonnay is a versatile variety that thrives in a range of climates and soils. As well as achieving a good level of ripeness, it is relatively resistant to disease, and apart from spring frosts, climatic threats are limited during the passage of the year. Key Facts About Chardonnay Chardonnay’s spiritual homeland is Burgundy in France, although there is evidence that links it back to Lebanon in the Middle East. In France it is responsible for the wines known as Chablis and Macon as well as the Village, Premier and Grand Cru wines of the Côte d’Or. Chardonnay is the consummate world traveler. Since the 1960s chardonnay has migrated to all wine growing countries and is produced around the globe. Chardonnay wines are medium straw in colour, deepening to rich yellow and gold with age. Rarely do you see a chardonnay that is pale white in colour, although we have come a long way from the deep heavy yellows of new world chardonnays produced in the 1970s and 1980s. Chardonnay has lots of flavour but this is balanced by a good deal of natural acidity. This balance lends itself to depth of flavour and all well made chardonnays have plenty of dimensions to enjoy. Chardonnay in Australia Nowhere is the versatility of this wonderful grape variety better expressed than across the vineyards, regions and winemaking styles of Australia. The Aussie chardonnay scene is defined by regional diversity making it a virtual playground for our viticulturists and grape growers. Our winemakers develop expertise experimenting with the many regional styles of chardonnay and the numerous winemaking techniques associated with this variety. In Australia, we are not inhibited by the appellation restrictions that put a straight jacket around European grape growers and winemakers, forcing specific varieties to be grown in specific regions. Australian chardonnays, apart from being delicious and well crafted, won’t burn a hole in your pocket. We like to ensure our wines are affordable and able to be enjoyed by as many people as we can. Australian chardonnay is not the world’s cheapest, but the value it represents has carried our reputation around the globe. Regional Chardonnay Chardonnay grows well in almost every wine region of Australia and is the mainstay of a great many vineyards. Its certainty of ripening and universal demand gives a grower something of an assurance against the fickle swings of weather and market place. Chardonnay loves to grow in all climates, producing quite different wines in each. In cooler regions like the Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Tumbarumba and Orange chardonnays show delicate flavours of citrus, grapefruit and green apple. The acidity is lively, sometimes even racy or steely and the fruit is pure, focused and lean. In warmer regions, particularly the Hunter Valley and Margaret River we grow richer chardonnays that show tropical fruit flavours like peach and apricot. In distinctly warm to hot areas like the Barossa Valley, we find rich expressions of ripe pineapple and fig really lifting out of the glass. Australian chardonnays, apart from being delicious and well crafted, won’t burn a hole in your pocket. We like to ensure our wines are affordable and able to be enjoyed by as many people as we can. Australian chardonnay is not the world’s cheapest, but the value it represents has carried our reputation around the globe.
Region
About Margaret River
The Margaret River produces outstanding Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc as well as Bordeaux style red blends made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Located 200 kilometres south of Perth, the Margaret River has a warm maritime climate. This results in grapes that have concentrated fruit aromas and flavours while still retaining high levels of acidity, due to the cooling ocean breezes. This also allows the Margaret River to offer fresh, elegant and restrained wines as well as full-bodied and powerful wines.
Details
Closure: Screw Cap
Country: Australia
Wine Body: Medium Bodied
Wine Sweetness: Dry
Size: 750mL
Non Alcoholic: No
Delivery
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Free delivery on orders over $300 for the Sydney Metro area. This covers postcodes between 2000 – 2234.
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93points
90points
98points
