Byron & Harold The Protocol Chardonnay 2024
- 94
- $60
- Drink by: 2025-2033
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The fruit here,100% Gingin clone, is largely from the Karridale subregion. The team use a high percentage of solids and the wine undergoes wild fermentation. Lees stirring takes place for seven months with maturation in French oak, 30% new, for ten months. A pale lemon hue, the wine has a gorgeous nose, intense and generous, with notes of stone fruits, cashews, peaches, citrus, mango, spices and a flick of orange rind. This is balanced, very long and that intensity is maintained for the full journey. Excellent balance, fine acidity and serious length, this will drink impressively over the next six to eight years.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
