Xavier Chardonnay Avon 2024
- 92
- $72
- Drink by: 2025-2031
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The Avon vineyard of just a single hectare was originally planted in 1987. It is located at Maffra in Gippsland. Fermentation was in barrel and the wine then spent a further ten months on lees. Maturation was in French oak, 30% new. Under Diam. The colour is a deep yellow straw. This is a spicy rounded style of Chardonnay, broad in structure – a little reminiscent of those crowd-pleasing, old fashioned Chardies and this will no doubt be very popular. Hints of oak still in the process of integration, along with nuts, mandarins, peaches, almonds and nectarines. A wine of medium length which lingers pleasantly. Enjoy over the next four to six years, but there is still room for it to improve.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
