Sidewood Mappinga Chardonnay 2021

A miracle vintage, according to Sidewood’s head winemaker Daryl Catlin, who has crafted this superb expression of Hills Chardonnay from Dijon Clones grown at the estate’s Oakbank vineyard on Mappinga Road. All elite techniques in play: partial whole bunch, wild yeast fermented and matured in 30% larger format new French oak, that are then best-selected for this outing. It’s all class with tasteful, crunchy white nectarine character, again edged with some herbal bitters that are becoming a vineyard and winemaking theme here – this time with a subtle note of bitter lemon. The palate exudes all of those elements with balance and complexity, grape phenolics meeting with an even acidity. This is a sophisticated and very adult Chardonnay.

Stop Press: It was  judged Best Wine of the Show, Best White Wine, Best Chardonnay and Best Single Vineyard Wine at the 2023 Adelaide Hills regional Wine Show. It will be released mid-2024.