Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 2025
- 96
- $60
- Drink by: 2026-2041
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The Estate’s Faultline and Farrago blocks provided the fruit here, which was subsequently blended. The grapes underwent a gentle whole bunch pressing, directly into French oak barriques and puncheons, with 20% of them new, before fermentation, after which the wine spent eleven months maturing on lees, without bâttonage. Very pale lemon in colour, this is a finely crafted and thoroughly entrancing Chardonnay. We have notes of gentle citrus and stone fruit, peach pits, grapefruit and lemon curd on the nose. There is superbly integrated oak here. The wine walks the tightrope between good intensity and elegance. Serious length through to a bright and fresh finish with satiny tannins, there is such fine balance throughout. Ten years of pleasure ahead, fifteen if you’re patient.
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.
