Byron & Harold The Protocol Chardonnay 2025
- 93
- $60
- Drink by: 2026-2034
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Just 4,512 bottles made of this premium Margaret River Chardonnay, the wine is made entirely from the famous gin gin clone. Maturation is in French oak. The fruit is largely sourced from the Karridale sub-region. The colour is a deep straw. There are early oak notes evident, but integration continues well. On the nose we have notes of stone fruits, nectarines, jasmine, apricot skins, ginger, lemon curd, river pebbles and a touch of limes. There is good intensity and the wine is of medium to good length. It is well balanced and offers a sleek texture. Impressive now, there are undoubtedly better days ahead, during which we can expect the score to rise further. 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.
