One of the greats in top form – complex, smoky and nutty, this is chardonnay on a grand and impressive scale.
Sublimely classic and complex nose of struck flint, matchstick, roasted hazelnuts, white peach and nectarine, with grapefruit, citrus curd and a lacing of white florals. It’s the kind of wine that makes Burgundy drinkers think of top Burgundy, with as much smoky gunflinty complexity as there is a wall of perfectly ripe but restrained fruit. So much going on here, but with poise in equal parts. There’s an underlining elegance and measure to it and nothing is forced or overdone, fine-boned acid and texture adding to the sheer commanding grandeur of the whole thing. Impressive stuff.
With an explosion of interest over the last few decades, chardonnay is now the world’s most planted white grape. With its ability to grow in varied conditions and make everything from sparkling wine, to lean and mineral whites, to full-bodied textural expressions, it is perhaps no surprise to see Burgundy’s key white grape become so dominant.
There’s something stately about the Beechworth wine region, with a sense of history, a sense of establishment that belies its relatively new viticultural status and frugal output. Perhaps it’s the town, with the pomp of its sandy hued stone buildings, the whole Gold Rush spectacle of it. Perhaps it’s the imprint of iconic makers, like Giaconda, Sorrenberg and Castagna. Perhaps it’s a combination. But whatever it is, don’t take this to mean Beechworth is set in its ways. It is a region of extraordinary untapped potential, with the ranks of newer makers swelling and testing the limits.
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