Silver Heights Reserve Chardonnay 2022
- 93
- $95
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Sourced from the sandier soils of the Jishan vineyard and hand-picked before a day’s skin contact, this is fermented under careful oxygen protection and aged eight months in one-year-old Burgundy puncheons — part of Emma Gao’s Demeter-certified biodynamic estate in the Helan Mountain foothills. Yellow apple and star fruit put a weave of fresh fruit through toasted sourdough, sour cream, roasted nuts, brioche leesiness, flickers of nougat and allusions of toffee. Despite the heady savoury tones, there’s sufficient freshness here. The palate is waxy and textural with toasted bread and toasted almonds sitting in medium body, with the fruit in more of a supporting role, though still present enough, while a delicate mineral line permeates.. There’s some subtle honey and toffee notes in the mix, and a slightly buttery tone. The finish is drenched in those bitter, toasty, nutty tones with some phenolic grip adding to the aesthetic. The acidity eventually cleans up the close, with the length actually carrying very long. This walks the line but never descends into overt richness or ponderousness, especially at 12% ABV. This is a strong release from the Silver Heights team.
Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.
