2024 Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 750ml

REVIEWS & AWARDS: 95 HALLIDAY Kooyong Estate Chardonnay comprises fruit from our Faultline and Farrago blocks. It offers an overall expression of the variety from the Kooyong vineyard, with parcels of fruit from various soils and mesoclimates blended together to create the Estate label.Year after year the same parcels are consistently chosen, giving this wine an underlying likeness across vintages.  The grapes were hand harvested and then gently whole-bunch pressed directly into a mixture of French oak barriques and puncheons (20% of which were new) where fermentation occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts. Following fermentation, the wine was aged on lees (without battonage) for 11 months. It was bottled without fining and with minimal filtration.  Bright and fresh aromatics lead, with fruit notes of grapefruit and lime citrus that verge to white stone fruit flesh, complemented by notes of citrus blossom and lemon curd. Its complexity is enhanced by subtle notes of roasted cashews, creamy nougat, and flecks of flint, adding to its overall charm. A detailed and fine palate with intricately woven flavours of citrus and stone fruit, carried effortlessly by a bright line of acid. Nuanced phenolics provide tension, while a creamy mid-palate texture derived from careful lees ageing adds complexity and overall balance. The wine ends with a crisp and invigorating finish, leaving a lasting impression of freshness and intensity. While drinking well now this wine will benefit from further cellaring into the medium term.