Margaret River is such a sweet spot for Chardonnay. Hemmed in on three sides by ocean, and home to the Gingin clone (which has surely made its home here - it is distinct), Margaret River is responsible for some of the greatest Chardonnays in the New World. Here, I look at small five producers, some quite small, and some a bit bigger than small, and see how they each handle their wines in this high class region. There's MLF, amphorae, eggs, basket pressing, wild ferments, exciting site selection and a host of other cool features that make these wines what they are. The bottles come from my cellar, and in order, are:
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0:00 - Intro
2:08 - 2019 L.A.S. Vino Wildberry Springs Chardonnay, Wil(l)yabrup
3:57 - 2020 Si Vintners Halcyon Block Chardonnay, Rosa Glen (900 bottles)*
6:49 - 2019 Walsh & Sons Burnside Chardonnay, Margaret River
10:01 - 2020 Vasse Felix Cloud II, Wallcliffe, Margaret River**
12:40 - 2019 Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay, Margaret River
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*This wine sees 20 months in oak, not 12 months as mentioned in the video.
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**I was able to gather a 'little' bit more information about this wine post-filming. Gingin clone sourced from Wallcliffe, wild ferment, matured in old oak and stirred before bottling.
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Any review you see on my socials ( / erinllarkin , this channel and my website (www.erinlarkin.com.au) are never paid for by wineries or anyone else: the wines are featured on their merits - because they have risen to the top in tastings. If you try the wines I recommend and you like them - good! Because so do I.