Xanadu Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay 2019 (Australia)

Description

• Oaked
• White nectarine
• Grapefruit
• Crisp finish

"The basis of this memorable chardonnay is the best batches of fruit from the original Lagan Estate vineyard. Power and poise are captured expertly with clever winemaking. The cooler vintage has certainly influenced the structure and intensity, with a more subtle understated expression. Yet as the wine begins its journey along the palate it starts to release its payload. Impeccably balanced with cashew, butterscotch brittle, and roasted cashew flavours faintly evident. Complex with a minerally lingering finish" Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot

"Fully blocking malolactic fermentation in the cool 2019 season in Margaret River is the stuff of heros (or fools), but such is the sheer presence of this Gingin clone in the fabled Lagan vineyard that this wine finds an effortless balance and glorious appeal in the midst of disarming tension and mesmerising concentration. There is not a molecule out of place in this harmonious union between pristine fruit, glorious texture and that acidity" Tyson Stelzer, WBM, Jul/Aug 2021

"As ever, sophisticated, lithe, glassy and svelte. Through the lens of the cool 2019 vintage, this wine has a scintillating energy, the acid jolts a burst of life onto the tongue, stinging it into life. The length of flavour goes on and on. Xanadu chardonnays have a proven track record of graceful ageing in the cellar, often not truly coming into their own until 3+ years after release. Pedigree, in a word" Erin Larkin, Wine Companion, Aug 2021

"Light straw-colour, with a subtle grapefruit aroma swaddled in smoky, nutty barrel derived nuances, the palate briskly tart with elevated acidity and citrus characters that are almost strident. Lemon and grapefruit, accompanied by tangy acidity that seems a trifle disconnected. Still very impressive. Tremendous focused intensity. It’s a bit young to drink solo, but has great potential. Give it time to settle and you’ll have a spectacular chardonnay" Huon Hooke, Real Review, Jul 2021

"Such a lean, long style of chardonnay. Its variety and its region will no doubt shine through, given time, but for now it’s all lemon, steel, pineapple and grapefruit with merely a brush of oak seasoning. There’s texture here, there’s elegance, there’s balance. But for now, patience is required" Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front

Pale straw. White fleshed stone fruits, lemon/lime and pear puree with underlying frangipani flowers and cashew adding to the wonderful purity of fruit. The palate is medium bodied and tightly coiled with plenty of latent power. White fleshed nectarine, pears, and zesty grapefruit characters. Precise and pure, the fruit is complimented with subtle textural elements and a pithy grapefruit edge adding structure. The fruit intensity and the high natural acidity reflect the season and provides drive to the wine, focussing it perfectly to a crisp, lingering finish.

100% of the fruit for this Reserve Chardonnay is from our oldest Chardonnay vineyard, the Lagan Estate. The low yielding vineyard produces bunches with characteristic ‘hen and chicken’ architecture typical of the Gingin clone. We encourage natural fermentation on fruit from this vineyard to further emphasize the personality of this wonderful site which is directly adjacent to the winery.

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 mid-January which was timely due to the later season, and 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! Bird-netting was absolutely vital this season. The cooler ripening conditions did result in amazing flavour intensity and acid retention in whites (Chardonnay in particular). There was a minor rain event coupled with high humidity mid-March which presented some challenges requiring careful fruit selection; however, this gave way to some beautiful weather right through until late April.

All of the fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed followed by 100%-barrel fermentation in select French oak (approx. 20% new oak). Fermentation was allowed to occur naturally, with the wild yeasts responsible for the fermentation introducing more complexity and personality into the wine. Barrels were lees stirred throughout a nine-month oak maturation period, without any malolactic fermentation. Only the best barrels were selected for the final blend which was put together in November 2019.