Squitchy Lane Vineyard The Key Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2019

The fact that Squitchy Lane mentions each individual wine’s cellaring potential on back labels gives some insight into its winemaking modus operandi. By logical extension, it builds wines to age. It is suggested, for example, that The Key “can be cellared for up to twenty years.” I would comfortably agree to 10 to 12, and let’s see where the wine heads after that. Accordingly, The Key is all about structure, with acidity quite linear in delivery, but that’s not the entire story. It’s quite a smart, finely-tuned wine with a solid core of pure fruit. With that in place, the winemaker’s life is definitely made a little easier. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon, delicious apple layered between white nectarine make an immediate impression, a positive one. It’s also well focussed in flavour concentration with good potential for further ageing thanks to a lemon-juicy acidity. It’s all here, just waiting.