Marchand & Burch Mount Barrow Chardonnay 2024
- 94
- $100
- Drink by: 2026-2034
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The Estate’s Mount Barrow vineyard is to be found at the eastern, higher altitude end of the Mount Barker sub-region. The vineyard was planted in 2005. It includes a range of clones, including Burgundian, American and the State’s famous Gin Gin clone. After harvest, the grapes are whole bunch pressed and fermented with natural yeasts in French oak, 40% of which is new. The oak is a mix of barriques, hogsheads and puncheons. Maturation is then for ten months. Lemon/straw in colour, this is a rich and powerful style of Chardonnay, giving us notes of grilled cashews, stone fruits, lemongrass, peaches, hazelnuts and ginger. There is good oak integration throughout and the texture is supple. Seamless in structure, the wine is well focused and offers good intensity and excellent length. It will provide superb drinking 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.
