Crittenden Estate 2009 Chardonnay

Fruit

100% Estate grown fruit from our own vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula.

Harvest

Mid March 2009.

Winemaking

The fruit was hand harvested and whole bunch pressed to a mixture of new, one and two year old French oak barriques (225 litre barrels) and puncheons (500 litre barrels). Approximately half of the barrels were allowed to ferment spontaneously using natural yeast and the balance were inoculated with a range of cultred yeasts. Some temperature control was exerted over the barrel ferments to ensure the retention of clean fruit characters. The wine was stored, subject to a topping regime, in the same barrels for 14 months, where the lees were stirred back into the wine at regular intervals to add to the complexity and richness. Approximately 40% of the wine was allowed to undergo a malolactic conversion. In July 2010 the wine was assembled in tank where it was made cold and protein stable and filtered in readiness for bottling.

Bottling

July 2010

Sealed under screw cap.

Technical information

Alc. Vol. 13.5%

Residual sugar: <1gms/ litre (dry)

Ph: 3.28

Total acidity: 6.32gms/litre

Tasting notes

Chardonnay is a variety which invites many complex activities, as you can see from the winemaking notes above. Each of the things we do such as barrel ferment, stirring on lees etc produces a richer and more complex wine. This wine has a restrained fragrance of figs and ripe melons combining beautifully with a delicious mouthfilling savouriness and acidity that comes from truly cool climate grapes.

Cellaring

This wine will drink well over the next 3-5 years.