Weathercraft Beechworth Reserve Chardonnay 2022

‘Handpicked from a one-acre plot with lower yields and regulated deficit irrigation, P58 clone used. Previous vintages guided the differentiation of the Reserve and Estate Chardonnays. The cool 2022 vintage with higher acidity and lower pH required a re-think of malolactic fermentation (MLF) and oak usage. Partial MLF. Lower pH (~3.15) due to naturally high acidity. Solely free-run juice for more purity of fruit expression. Aged for 15 months in 20% new French oak. Fewer solids.’

If you wonder why Beechworth has such a great reputation for Chardonnay, then I present this wine to you as proof. I absolutely adored it. It takes everything that the Estate Chardonnay has and just amplifies it, but without coming across as over the top. Brilliant primary aromas of lemon, grapefruit, hay, wax, apricot and cucumber are joined by secondary ones of cream and oak, and tertiary notes of nuts and smoke – there’s so much going on for the nose and palate that it’s almost sensory overload. The mouthfeel is vivacious and salty, with heaps of flavour that lingers, with an almost unctuous sensation and masses of acidity. It may be a hundred bucks but it is definitely worth it, and in about ten years it will be simply glorious.