News
A cursory glance at Australian wine show results over the past twelve months, combined with some enthusiastic musings from overseas wine-writers, suggest that Australian Chardonnay is on the ascension... of course we, the Australian Chardonnay drinker have known this for some time.
It has been quite a battle. Chardonnay’s low point came when she was toppled off her throne by Sauvignon Blanc as our favoured white wine choice a couple of years ago. The ABC – Anything But Chardonnay movement was in full swing - brutal, and sometimes justified in their condemnation of the grape.
I’m guilty as charged also, plunging myself into a state of varietal welschmerz as the disappointments and multi-personality disorder of Australian Chardonnay took its toll on my palate. The usual suspects from the dress circle of Melbourne and Margaret River always seemed rise to the top to save me from certain vinous doom.
Today, I think it is fair to say that Australian Chardonnay is now our country’s most exciting variety, with local & international wine scribes gushing in their praise of the slightly punch-drunk grape. Respected U.K. wine-writer, Andrew Jefford, recently commented that Australian Chardonnay now competes with top-level Burgundy “effortlessly” and Burgundy is indeed where many of our winemakers look for inspiration.
During one of the dinners at the Len Evans tutorial in the Hunter Valley last November, the scholars were presented with seven wines, double blind in the first bracket with the obligatory options question “What links these wines?” attached to the exercise. The wines...four Australian Chardonnays and three Grand Cru Burgundy’s...the result....11 very blown away scholars and a clear win to the Aussies.
The Australian wines were as follows: the 2009 Seville Estate Reserve Chardonnay, the 2009 Vasse Felix Heytesbury, the 2009 Oakridge 864 Chardonnay and the 2009 Penfolds Bin 09A.
On a whim, I recently posed a question on Twitter asking for the wine mad publics top three Australian Chardonnays. I was surprised to get a total of 63 suggested wines from the participants with the brilliant Oakridge 864 Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley coming out on top in the voting, closely followed by the Bindi Quartz from Macedon and the Vasse Felix Heytesbury from Margaret River. The social media savvy wine consumers clearly showing that Australian Chardonnay is in a much happier place than five years ago.
There has been a noticeable evolution in style. The peachy, oaky offerings of the past, that seemed to more often than not disappoint rather than delight after a handful of years in the cellar, have made way for an increasingly filigreed style. A little leaner certainly, a little more texture and mouth-feel, certainly better balance and tension and most pleasingly increased complexity of aromas and flavours, as well as the potential of a longer life in the wine cellar.
A year or so ago, I was having lunch with Mike Weersing, the Californian owner/winemaker at New Zealand’s Pyramid Valley winery in North Canterbury. The topic of texture in wine came up and he told the story of a couple of famous French soil scientists, Claude & Lydia Bourguignon who had recently stayed with Mike for a week after speaking at a Pinot Noir conference in Wellington.
Lydia Bourguignon is doing some research into famous French wine-tasters. The folks that could tell for instance, whether a wine came from granitic or limestone soils by the shape and attack of the acidity on the palate.
She told of how the tasters trained their palates to detect a wines elasticity by poaching egg whites for varying periods of time, holding them in their mouths and detecting the various amounts of “give” on their palate.
I was reminded of this conversation last week while trying the fantastic 2009 Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay, a detailed and complex wine with a captivating mouth-feel that seemed to have that spring or elasticity that Lydia alluded to. I noticed that on a video posted on the Xanadu website that winemaker, Glenn Goodall refers to the wines “al dente” texture and I thought that was a perfect description of what was appearing on the palate.
Australian Chardonnay has never looked better. At the lower price-points you’ll find many solid wines that perfectly fit the “sunshine in a bottle” mantra. Spend a little more and you’ll find an array of amazing wines that hold their own against the best in the world at a fraction of the price.
|
|
|
 |
News Archive
Langton's Classification V Set
Len Evans Foundation Auction
Behind Bindi: The Life of a Winemaker
Champagne –all about marketing or worth the hype?
London Launch of Burgundies 2011
The State of New Zealand Pinot Noir
Beauty and Balance the Razor's Edge
Yalumba Tasting – Aussie Rules
Hospices de Beaune Auction 2012
Langton's Classification Auction 2012
Hill of Grace 50th Anniversary Lunch
History of Langton's Classification
Melbourne Private Cellar - An Extraordinary Auction
Dr Ray Beckwith OAM - a Tribute
The Future of the Australian Wine Show System
The Jura's famous yellow wine
Clonakilla - A special Shiraz Viognier Tasting
Key News - September 2012
October Langton's Cellar Club
Single Vendor Flood Damaged Auction
Robert Parker & Jancis Robinson MW
A great Burgundian domaine restored
Seppelt Para Liqueur Vintage Tawny Collection - Special Auction
Vega-Sicilia - A special Single Vendor Auction
Opera Australia Christmas Auction
Out of the Blue Comes a Farm
The competitive Mr. Basset OBE, MW, Best Sommelier in the World
Uncorking Penfolds Clinic
Fruit of the Forest: Wild Fungi
Innovation and Experimentation
The Risk Taking Wine Psychologist
Sydney Single Vendor Auction
Hill of Grace 50th Anniversary Lunch
Australia's Top 100 Auction Wines for 2011
Grenache Day Blogger's Breakfast
A French Sleeping Beauty Awakes
Black Blue & Grey-Wolf Blass Luxury Release
An Enviable Inharitance - Olivier Leflaive
Key News - December Edition
Cross[x]Species Adventures
The China Syndrome: Shanghai International Wine Challenge 2011
Christmas and another great vintage in Alsace
Down in the Woods: Franciacorta and Ca' del Bosco
Foie gras and sweet wine in the Loire
Key News - October Edition
Bordeaux Masterclass & Dinner
Invisible Touch: Benchmark Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
Key News - September Edition
The Unsung Heros of the French Wine Harvest
Penfolds White Winemaking Overview
It's only Natural: Torbreck Natural Wine Project
On Organics, Biodynamics and Sustainable Viticulture
Key News - March 2011 Edition
Langtons is now on Twitter & Facebook
The Nine Network: Burgundy 2009
Key News -February 2011 Edition
2007 Hospices de Beaune Review
Penfolds Rewards of Patience - Decant Guide
The Drinks Interval: Wine & Cricket
Last outpost of the Bristish Empire
Trevor Mast Charity Auction
Shipping for the Festive Season 2010
Keys News - November Edition
From Northern Ireland to New Zealand: Te Mata Coleraine 2006-1991
Charity Lot - 123 Classified Wines
BUY CLASSIFICATION POSTER
Variations on a Theme: Coonawarra Reds 2006-1982
Key News -October Edition
Key News - September Edition
Flaming Ferrari: Yalumba the Signature and Single Site New Releases
Classification V - Coming Soon!
Key News - August Edition
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 1987-2006
Bordeaux 2009 Reflections
A Perfect Ten? Bordeaux 2000 reassessed 10 years on
2005 Grange: Where do the Grapes come from?
Is it a Bird? A Plane? It's 707!
Meet the Winemakers Behind Today's Penfolds Great Reds
Bin Files: Penfolds 389 vs Grange
Treasured Bottles - Yarra Yering
The Evolution of New Zealand Pinot Noir
SINGLE VENDOR AUCTION DEC 2009
Opera Australia Christmas 2009 Auction
Classic Wines of Australia 1961-1970
Parker Review - Tuscany 2006 & 2007
French wine remains the worlds reference point
PINOSOPHY – Brian Croser’s Pinot Noir Manifesto
Penfolds Primary Reds Rise Above Stock Market Blues.
Langton’s Top 500 Australian Wine Prices 2007
The Great Wine Estates of Western Australia “2007 En-Primeur Campaign”
147 Vente Des Vins - Des Hospices de Beaune
LANGTON’S Classic PENFOLDS Wine Auction
Jasper Hill – The life and works of Ron and Elva Laughton
McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon – Hunter Valley
Robert Parker Jr.’s top 180 Wines of the 2006 Vintage + Andrew Caillard's Bordeaux Impressions
Opening Gambit - Andrew Caillard MW en route to Bordeaux
Heritage & Evolution: A Tasting
Certainty! The Claret Drinker's Song
Wine Investment – Swim between the flags
Penfolds Classified Wines
Classic Penfolds Wine Auction
The Siren’s Song – Bass Phillip
Exchange Current Listings
Andrew Caillard MW reviews Bordeaux 2005
Bordeaux 2005 – Does it get any better than this? What the international reviewers are saying
Nicky Riemer – the new Head Chef at Langton’s Restaurant
Langton's Exchange in 2006
Langton’s 2005 Classification IV – International Reception, Predictions and Tastings
Langton’s 2005 Classification IV – International Reception, Predictions and Tastings
LANGTON’S EXCHANGE – BUY NOW and SAVE 15%
Great Wines Estates of WA Live Auction (V) – Open for Bidding Online October 21 to November 12
Langton’s 2005 Classification IV
2005 Classification in Gourmet Traveller WINE
Bordeaux 2004 – A Classic Vintage
Penfolds Grange Auction – Now Open
MCWILLIAMS Celebrity Blend-Off for Charity Wine Auction
Grange Auction Open for Bidding
LANGTON’S EXCHANGE – BUY NOW!
1998: Vintage of the Century
A Vertical Tasting of De Bortoli Noble One
The Story of Grange by Max Schubert (1915–1994)
Penfolds Grange Auction June 13 - July 14, 2003
A Lazy Eye on Pink Cliffs & One Eye
Henschke Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone
Selling at Langton’s in 2003
Australian Wine Exchange offers Giaconda Chardonnay
Large Format Grange Sets Records
The Sensational 2002 Central Otago Pinot Noir Vintage
Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration and Barrel Auction
The John (Jack) W Henderson Collection - Auction Closes February 3, 6pm
Shiraz Australia II Auction
Seppelt Para 100 Year Old Liqueur Vintage Tawny Barossa Valley - Vintages 1878-1903
|