Riposte The Katana Chardonnay 2024
- 93
- $29
- Drink by: 2025-2033
Share
The fruit hails from a designated vineyard in the Kenton Valley in the Adelaide Hills and saw a partial wild ferment in French oak, 25% new. Yields were considerably reduced in the excellent season of 2024, but the quality was excellent. A lemon/straw hue, this is a beautifully crafted, finely balanced Chardy of precision and class. There are some lovely touches of oak and nutmeg, with stonefruits, a touch of citrus, peaches, nectarines and hazelnuts. Still very young, this has serious length and vibrant acidity. Now for eight years. A really good Chardy.
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.
