Rising Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2023

‘A blend of four blocks from the Rising Vineyard in St Andrews – P58 clone from House block, I10V5 clone and Bernard 76 clone from Bibs block, Bernard 95 clone from Number 1 block and Bernard 95 clone from 95 block. Age of vines varies from 13 to 39 years old. All parcels were whole-bunch pressed to tank for an overnight settle before going to barrel with lots of solids for ferment and maturation. French oak is used exclusively, mainly 300L hogsheads of which 20% were new. The wine rested in barrel for nine months before blending and bottling in February 2023.’

This wine was my introduction to Rising and it was a great start. As it’s still a baby, primary characters are the main attraction: zesty lemon and grapefruit, a touch of peach, some hay/dried grass savouriness, and a briny, salty note that followed through beautifully to the palate. The palate shows bright fruit and a mineral zing, with tongue-tingling acidity. I enjoyed it with some gooey cheese and it paired brilliantly, emphasising the saltiness of the wine. It will be interesting to see how it develops over the next two to three years.