DCB Wines Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
The entry-level Chardonnay from Chris Bendle is made to be enjoyed. Details below are for interest only.
Hand-harvested, the fruit was chilled overnight with 50% pressed whole bunch into tank while the balance was crushed and de-stemmed prior to being pressed. After a day on skins and stems the whole bunch juice was gravity racked off onto 80% seasoned oak before being fermented using wild yeast culture. The balance of the juice rested for three days before being racked off – also being fermented wild. The juice was stirred once per day with the intensity of the stirring increasing as the ferment progressed. The wine was left to rest before being racked off into tank, filtered then bottled.
'Attractive wine from the get-go, nicely balanced, flavoursome, pure-feeling, crisp and refreshing. Opens with green apple, flinty notes, some lemon soap character, a touch of yoghurt character. Palate is lean and lively but imbued with ‘true’ chardonnay flavours. More of the flint and a touch of nuttiness too. Lively, quietly complex and delicious wine.'
92 points, The Wine Front (August 2018)
'Light, bright yellow colour and a lovely young, vibrant bouquet displaying a lot of creamy sur-lie and a hint of 'chicken coop' sulfide. The palate is delicate and fine: light-bodied, fresh and bright, with complex flavour thanks to lots of lees work. Refreshing acidity enlivens the finish. A very appealing 'worked' style of chardonnay.'
92 points, Huon Hook, The Real Review, May 2018.
Almost guaranteed to please. The flavour, the flesh, the finish. It's driven by flavours of pear, peach and fresh-cut apple but it then adds cream and cashew notes as finishing touches. It's pure and crisp yet it has the body to satisfy. Very nicely done - and priced.
93 points, Wine Companion (May 2018)
Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley was first planted by the Ryrie brothers who explored a way through the Snowy Mountains to the Yarra Valley, planting grapes in 1838 just three years after the foundation of Melbourne. A wine industry (developed by Swiss Settlers particularly Hubert de Castella and Baron Guillaume de Pury in the 1850s) thrived during the gold rush era and heyday of the 19th century. However, the end of the gold rush brought the wine industry into decline and it was not until the 1970’s that the modern wine industry started up again. The region is probably Australia’s best-known cool-climate area, yet it is really a patchwork of meso-climates. This varied topography creates an incredible set of variables. Vineyards are planted on elevations of 50 to 400m on varying aspects and management programmes. The more exposed sites are subject to severe spring frosts and winds. Overall, the area experiences a relatively high rainfall pattern and is known for its temperature extremes during ripening. Site selection is crucial, with the best vineyards often located where the original vines were once planted, generally on sandy clay loams and gravels. The Yarra Valley is well known for high quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Blends with Shiraz increasingly garnering attention. Sparkling wine production is also extremely important, with many of Australia’s finest examples produced in the region.
