Smeaton Estate Stella Single Vineyard Chardonnay 202

This vineyard has been around for 30 years and this is the first Chardonnay release. Not sure why they waited so long, but it is looking mighty fine. Follows the fairly standard approach of handpicking, whole bunch pressing and then fermentation and maturation in a mix of new and older French barriques. Cashew and lemon tart characters on the nose merge into the palate. It has a slightly savoury element with the primary fruit characters still evident. About half the wine went through malolactic fermentation which was probably a combination of managing the cooler year and introducing another level of palate complexity.