Aromas of peach, banana, cantaloupe, honey, butter and vanilla, with citrus undertones and a pronounced nose.
Dry, Medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium + body, pronounced flavour intensity and a long finish.
One the palate, it tastes like orange peel and ripe peach with some lemon in the background. The oak presents toasted vanilla and there is some butter from mlf.
Balance: 1 Length: 1 Intensity: 1 Complexity: .5
This is a very good wine.
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Ripe fruit on the nose, open, a little buttery, rich. On the palate good acidity, quite bright and precise with good minerality and decent length. 88-90
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Fine, matchstick characters. A good Bourgogne to low prem. Cru in power. A little short. Severely embarrassed by the 2019 Giaconda that's just been in the bottle 2 weeks... A well made wine but could not hold a candle to the Giaconda, despite the latter showing lots of bottle sulphur and still in nappies.
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Coal River Valley hit the Australian scene in the late ‘70s and remained relatively under the radar for decades. Thanks to the consistent quality of winemaking by wineries such as Tolpuddle, Domaine A, Domaine Simha and many other masters of the craft, this small region has become a benchmark for exceptional quality in Australia. Here, the hills guard the vineyards from excessive rainfall and cold sea winds, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly in autumn disease-free.
The result? A very well-done Chardonnay that is unfortunately a bit too young to be evaluated for its full potential. Heavily reductive upon opening. My favourite notes – tuna brine, copper jail bars and burnt honeycomb. Luckily, these obscure aromas blow off pretty quick and give way to levels of complexity. With its racy acidity, moderate alcohol and underripe rather than ripe fruit character, this could easily be classified as a Puligny, but simply lacks one key element for such a call – the unbeatable OG Burgundian charm.
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Top French v Aussie Chardonnay: Paler. I love this wine almost as much. Paler colour. Clean and fresh bouquet, again after a lick of reduction, of citrus, pears, nectarines, baking spices, chalky minerals and baking spices. A little toasty oak also present, although seemingly less than the PYCM. Some tasters found this Chardonnay's nose even more reduced than the PYCM, though I did not agree. On palate, very primary and a little raw. However that is not surprising, as it is still so young (give it another 2-4 years, minimum). There is a tad of sulphur and flinty minerality on palate with dense ripe - citrus, orchard and some tropical - fruit. There is also a green fruit element, perhaps limes or green apples. Excellent. Not stereotypical broad, fully ripe Aussie Chardonnay.
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Two excellent Aussies: Fairly deep gold with a slight greenish tinge. A pure bouquet of lemon, pear, wet river boulder, nectarine and cinnamon. The last element reflects a little spicy, toasty note that is barrel, not fruit, derived. Reduction and oak are present on bouquet but in good proportion, particularly for such a young wine, adding some complexity and interest. On palate, quite Burgundian. Ripe, rich fruit balanced by piercing, racy acidity. Sufficiently dry. Lemon and lime citrus, a touch of greengage, poached pears, a little rock melon and flinty minerality. There is some vanillin oak that is yet to integrate. Good detail and serious weight and length. Hold for 2-3 more years. Impressive.
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Full bodied complex chardonnay with nice complexity, barrel ferment characters nicely in balance with quite powerful fruit. Really too young to drink now but very enjoyable nonetheless
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7/17/2022 - bowesmana Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale lemon,
Aromas of peach, banana, cantaloupe, honey, butter and vanilla, with citrus undertones and a pronounced nose.
Dry, Medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium + body, pronounced flavour intensity and a long finish.
One the palate, it tastes like orange peel and ripe peach with some lemon in the background. The oak presents toasted vanilla and there is some butter from mlf.
Balance: 1
Length: 1
Intensity: 1
Complexity: .5
This is a very good wine.
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1/20/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
Ripe fruit on the nose, open, a little buttery, rich. On the palate good acidity, quite bright and precise with good minerality and decent length. 88-90
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12/6/2020 - richard.presser Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fine, matchstick characters. A good Bourgogne to low prem. Cru in power. A little short. Severely embarrassed by the 2019 Giaconda that's just been in the bottle 2 weeks... A well made wine but could not hold a candle to the Giaconda, despite the latter showing lots of bottle sulphur and still in nappies.
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3/15/2020 - djn63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth. Citrus hints nice nose drinking well but will I prove
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5/12/2019 - grapenomad wrote: 89 Points
Coal River Valley hit the Australian scene in the late ‘70s and remained relatively under the radar for decades. Thanks to the consistent quality of winemaking by wineries such as Tolpuddle, Domaine A, Domaine Simha and many other masters of the craft, this small region has become a benchmark for exceptional quality in Australia. Here, the hills guard the vineyards from excessive rainfall and cold sea winds, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly in autumn disease-free.
The result? A very well-done Chardonnay that is unfortunately a bit too young to be evaluated for its full potential. Heavily reductive upon opening. My favourite notes – tuna brine, copper jail bars and burnt honeycomb. Luckily, these obscure aromas blow off pretty quick and give way to levels of complexity. With its racy acidity, moderate alcohol and underripe rather than ripe fruit character, this could easily be classified as a Puligny, but simply lacks one key element for such a call – the unbeatable OG Burgundian charm.
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2/25/2019 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Top French v Aussie Chardonnay: Paler. I love this wine almost as much. Paler colour. Clean and fresh bouquet, again after a lick of reduction, of citrus, pears, nectarines, baking spices, chalky minerals and baking spices. A little toasty oak also present, although seemingly less than the PYCM. Some tasters found this Chardonnay's nose even more reduced than the PYCM, though I did not agree. On palate, very primary and a little raw. However that is not surprising, as it is still so young (give it another 2-4 years, minimum). There is a tad of sulphur and flinty minerality on palate with dense ripe - citrus, orchard and some tropical - fruit. There is also a green fruit element, perhaps limes or green apples. Excellent. Not stereotypical broad, fully ripe Aussie Chardonnay.
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9/24/2018 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two excellent Aussies: Fairly deep gold with a slight greenish tinge. A pure bouquet of lemon, pear, wet river boulder, nectarine and cinnamon. The last element reflects a little spicy, toasty note that is barrel, not fruit, derived. Reduction and oak are present on bouquet but in good proportion, particularly for such a young wine, adding some complexity and interest. On palate, quite Burgundian. Ripe, rich fruit balanced by piercing, racy acidity. Sufficiently dry. Lemon and lime citrus, a touch of greengage, poached pears, a little rock melon and flinty minerality. There is some vanillin oak that is yet to integrate. Good detail and serious weight and length. Hold for 2-3 more years. Impressive.
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7/29/2018 - chatters wrote:
Adelaide trip; 7/26/2018-7/29/2018 (Adelaide and the surrounding environs): slight toast, a little butter, perfumed, slight lemon, cedar. On the palate it has zesty acidity; quite juicy, toast, butter and slight lemon. Hmm.
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5/3/2018 - cerobo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full bodied complex chardonnay with nice complexity, barrel ferment characters nicely in balance with quite powerful fruit. Really too young to drink now but very enjoyable nonetheless
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