Journey Wines Chardonnay

Journey Wines Chardonnay

$36.00
6 + $32.40 each
12 + $30.06 each
Out of stock

Variety

Chardonnay

Vintage

2018

Size

750ml

Country

Australia

State

Victoria

Region

Yarra Valley

Description

The Vintage
Winter and Spring were both cool with plentiful rainfall. Summer was warm to hot, with above-average rainfall through December. Thankfully the rain stopped in early January, with a lengthy mild and sunny lead up to harvest.

The Sites
Briarty Hill - Gruyere, Yarra Valley. 47%

Silty clay loam interspersed with iron stone gravel. I10V1 clone planted in 1994. Hand-picked on 19th February 2018.

Willowlake - Gladysdale, Upper Yarra Valley. 29%

Grey clay loam soil. I10V1 clone planted in 1994. Hand-picked on 5th March 2018.

Lone Star Creek - Woori Yallock, Upper Yarra Valley. 24%

Grey clay loam soil. Bernard 95 clone planted in 2015. Hand-picked on 5th March 2018.

The Winemaking
Whole-bunches of Chardonnay were pressed while cool. The juice settled for around 15 hours before racking to barrel with high solids content. Fermentation with wild yeast took place in 20% new French 500 litre puncheons (D’Aquitane, Dargaud & Jaegléand Saint Martin cooperages), with the remainder in one, two and three year old French puncheons. Ferment temperatures were kept relatively low to maintain fruit freshness. Once fermentation was complete the wine was sulphured with no malolactic fermentation. The wine remained on yeast lees in barrel for 10 months, stirred only occasionally during the early stages of maturation to enhance mid-palate complexity. Bottled unfined on 20th December 2018.

The Wine
Our 2018 Yarra Valley Chardonnay has a pale-straw colour with green tints. The elegant yet intense nose has floral notes over stone fruit and flinty aromas. The front-palate exhibits restrained white peach flavours, followed by a tight line of citrussy acidity and lightly spicy oak. The excellent flavour intensity leads to a delightfully long finish.