Kooyong Farrago Chardonnay 2019
- 95
- $60
- Drink by: 2023 - 2032
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Kooyong has always been one of the premier producers on the Mornington Peninsula and this latest set of flagship releases confirms they still are. These are chardies of the highest calibre.
The Farrago is sourced from only 0.8 ha of 20-year-old vines from the Farrago block (which is 2.76 hectares in its entirety). The vineyard is clay with a high percentage of ironstone pebbles (very similar to their Ferrous vineyard). The grapes were whole-bunch pressed directly into French oak barriques (18% new). Fermentation is with native yeasts. The wine then spent 11 months on lees, but no batonnage. There was no fining and minimal filtration.
Minerals and pears kick off the array of aromas. Beautifully integrated oak, which is as close to invisible as one could wish. A hint of honeycomb, followed by stonefruit notes, a weave of grapefruit and nuts. This is an elegant and yet expressive chardonnay. Nicely balanced. There is an underlying gentle, but pleasing, smoky touch. The wine offers good acidity and excellent length. Will offer even more if you give it time – five to eight years would be a doddle. A superb chardonnay in the more restrained sphere. More Grand Cru Chablis than Meursault. Great value when compared to what is asked for some other top flagship chardonnays.
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.
