Terroir-istes International - Australia-Victoria, Mornington Peninsular Chardonnay

A deep dive into Mornington Peninsular Chardonnay

• 2015 Yabby Lake Vineyard Chardonnay Single Block Release Block 6 90 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-yellow hue with expressive notes of peach, yuzu peel, wet stones, and jasmine, further enriched by nuances of lemon custard cream, mineral and tangerine.
  The entry is smooth with a Williams pear-flesh texture delicately intertwined with creme fraiche. This fleshy core is checked by fabulous acidity with bite and edge and a green apple pithiness, carrying the wine to a long, winding finish. All told, the wine is bone dry, and the acid is on the greener side with green apple, green mango, and other notes popping out r of which some felt was too austere. As an acid lover, this is a cracking wine that finishes high on wild jasmine, orange, and smashed rocks.

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• 2015 Kooyong Chardonnay Farrago 93 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): A light+ yellow colour with initial notes of cordite, minerals, and quarry dust. This earthy approach then yields ripe white peach, orange blossom and lemon/lime cream. Fresh and vibrant on the palate, the wine has a crisp acidity that cuts nicely through ripe stone fruits, creamy pear, tinned peaches and apple skin. A streamlined wine the lemon juice, rocks and mineral on the mid-palate is mouth-cleansing and leaves utterly refreshing! Long with some with chalky, saline grip.

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• 2016 Kooyong Chardonnay Faultline 90 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-yellow colour. The nose is redolent in golden apple flesh, crushed stones, almond butter, Canteloup melon and some orange blossom.
  Broad and full-bodied, the wine is intense and robust with a slightly savoury twist. Not overly ripe, there is a mouth-filling presence that is highly enjoyable. Magnificent intensity, the strident tart acidity sets fabulously against the flavours of Forelle pear, fresh yellow apple, melon and lime flesh. Touch of oatmeal creaminess underpins. Quite tight, almost akin to the gravelly style of modern Chablis.
  The finish had a racy component, but also an odd funky note crept in like moss on wet stones and sea kelp.

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• 2013 Paringa Estate Chardonnay Estate 93 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): A light+ yellow colour. Aromas of cordite, gunpowder, minerals, and quarry dust with a hint of fresh rubber, earth and orchard fruit in an apple bin further reveal wet moss on stones.
  Lovely line on entry with freshness and a floral note. Delicate with apple blossom and even wild jasmine, this is nimble-footed and poised with an incisive acidity upon that sit lemon wedges, creme Fraiche, chipped stone and smoke. Good length, there is a bitter orange pithiness, and I loved the floral and smoky qualities that led to an elongated finish.

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• 2016 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay 10X 86 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): A pale yellow colour. Dominant aromas of lemon and grapefruit with lesser notes of peach. There is also a suggestion of a cardboard filter pad-like effect that slightly distracts. The palate is crisp and refreshing with lift and flavours of sherbet, green apple, and cream soda. However, a sweet note like spun sugar and caramelized orange, with a slight phenolic character (initially grapefruit pith but gets more prominent in the mouth), comes off a little simplistic/commercial. Perhaps it feels rather light-bodied and not that integrated. Despite this the finish is medium-long with crushed nut.

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• 2016 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay Judd Vineyard 93 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind):An intense nose with evident mineral and cordite aromas. Savoury edges with fresh chalk and pretty scents of lemon rind, apple blossoms, and citrus.
  The palate is all chiselled with incisive acidity, giving exceptional crispness and focus. A remarkable penetration of flavours led by crushed rocks and a combo of citrus zest, orange, oatmeal, white peach (blossom) and even some red apple, all giving a little rub of positive phenolics.
  Excellent concentration, the fruit is all ripe, and the flavours unfold on the palate, leaving long and with a pithy, almost warming sensation resembling dry marmalade.

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• 2016 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay Wallis Vineyard 95 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): Hints of rubber on the nose suggest reduction. It takes a while, but some lemon and lime eventually joins the party. Shy.
  The palate has a little riper fruit, albeit it feels more blossom. A crisp acid with a linear profile and better fruit penetration than the nose suggests. With more agitation, the flavours emerge fully with orange peel, wet stone, dried peach with apricot and yellow apple, all joining a slightly charred oak towards caramel with a fine honeycomb texture. The wine has tension, and this lingers to a long finish. A nicely-weight wine in the mid-palate, it seems to flow along. Got better and better.

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• 2016 Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay McCutcheon Vineyard 89 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  (Tasted Blind): This wine is a much riper, broader style with notes towards Valencia orange, Meyer lemon, pineapple and crushed nuts with a hint of pink grapefruit. A sweetness on entry; the wine is more robust and full-bodied but not as intense as I expected. It feels a bit lacking in the mid-palate. However, there is a good length and crisp acidity to keep it going, and the flavours give orange-flavoured water, green pea shoots and a savoury twist. There is a fleshy texture and marginal grapefruit pithiness, yet it is quite sumptuous, almost pudgy for me.

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• 2010 Shadowfax Chardonnay 87 Points

  Australia, Victoria

  (Tasted Blind): A mid-yellow colour; the nose shows almond paste, golden apple and ripe pears. More that apple/pear bin on the side of the orchard. Some evolution. Fairly intense and bold entry, the wine has more freshness than expected, with a gentle gait in the mouth. The acid is crisp with an apple skin-like texture, and the mid-palate has the flavour of orange, peach flesh, and almonds, although they tended to evolve to orange marmalade and toffee apple as the wine opened. However, despite this fullness and evolution, the wine seemed amazingly fleet-footed and was medium to long in length. Touch of glycerol on the finish.

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• 2016 By Farr Chardonnay Three Oaks 91 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong

  (Tasted Blind): A light+ yellow colour. A cool aroma with golden apple, lemon cream, peach, jasmine, blossom and some spices. The palate opens with a lovely fresh peach and pear presence with a clean and refreshing acidity. Linear with a delicate structure, the oak is pretty invasive, but plenty of fruit notes almost balance this out with sweet orange, sour apple, rooibos, tea leaf (pu-erh tea) and notes of grilled peach. Remains fresh throughout and is long on the finish. Highly drinkable.
  Soils are red soils over limestone. They use Dijon & Penfolds 58 clones. 30% new oak & aged for 11months.

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• 2016 By Farr Chardonnay Côte Vineyard 94 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong

  (Tasted Blind): Light yellow, the wine has plenty of similarities to the previous wine, with gentle oak spices, crème fraiche, lemon curd, grapefruit, and peach. Bit more mineral here and a touch of pear drop esters. A dry entry, the wine has ripeness and some richness to the mid-palate yet maintains a cleanliness and a mineral-driven character. A bright, vibrant acidity with excellent penetration and length, this complex wine is fashioned by a pithy and mineral sensation, creating a layered experience with excellent mid-palate depth. Flavours of lime, poached pear, grilled peach, nougat and lemon meringue.

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