90 Point Rated James Halliday Margaret River Chardonnay From Winery Named James Halliday Winery Of Year
Why to buy 
Tasting Notes 
Pale straw. The bouquet of this fresh, fruit driven Chardonnay displays nashi pears and grapefruit characters with underlying hints of oyster shell and oatmeal.Medium bodied and tightly coiled displayed white fleshed stone fruits and zesty citrus flavours. Minerally/quartz-like characters are complimented by a lovey creamy texture derived from lees stirring whilst in barrel. The vibrant fruit and crisp acidity combine to focus the wine perfectly to a lingering fruit finish.
The growing season began with a late budburst after a relatively cold Winter with reasonable rainfall. The cool Spring which followed resulted in some uneven flowering and fruit set, and generally lower than average yields. We experienced a significant and unusual rain event midJanuary which was timely due to the later season. This was followed by some fine, mild weather to get vintage underway. There was a complete lack of Marri blossom leading up to and during harvest which meant that bird pressure was extreme, with netting absolutely vital. The cooler ripening conditions did result in amazing flavour intensity and acid retention in the whites. There was a minor rain event coupled with high humidity mid-March which presented some challenges requiring careful fruit selection, although this gave way to some beautiful weather right through till late April. All of the fruit for the 2019 DJL Chardonnay was Estate grown on our Stevens Road and Boodjidup Vineyards in the Wallcliffe subregion of Margaret River.
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