2024 Estate Chardonnay

Vineyard Location

The Beginning Chardonnay emerges from the Adelaide Hills, specifically a single vineyard parcel at an elevation of 396m in Hahndorf. This cool-climate region, marked by lean soils, imparts low vine vigor, yielding small, compact, and intensely flavored bunches. The Bernard 95, 124, and Mendoza clones of Chardonnay thrive in this unique terroir, contributing to the distinct character of the 2024 vintage.

Season

2024 delivered a cool, even growing season that yielded wines with intense yet delicate flavours and vibrant colours. February and March saw an absence of rainfall, coupled with low crop yields and warmer temperatures, which led to an unusually fast-paced harvest.

Vinification

Chardonnay grapes, handpicked in the early morning, were swiftly whole bunch pressed, extracting only the pure free-run juice at 550L/t. After 6 hours of settling in tanks, the clear juice with light lees was transferred to a mix of 228L Barriques and 500L Puncheons. Some underwent inoculation with a chardonnay-specific yeast for enhanced character and texture, while the rest went through a wild fermentation for complexity. After 2-3 weeks in a cool cellar, the wines naturally progressed through malolactic fermentation during 9 months in barrels on lees. The winemaking team blind-tasted and selected a blend with 61% new oak and 39% 2-4 year seasoned French oak. The final blend rested for an additional month on lees in tanks, ensuring a smooth integration before bottling.

Technical

Clone: B95 | B124 • Alcohol: 13% • Residual Sugar: 0 g/L • Total Acidity: 6.0 g/L • pH: 3.34 • Altitude: 396m • Vegan: No • Contains sulphites

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay

Food Match

Roast chicken with sage butter

Production

6,173 bottles

Winemaker

The Lane Vineyard

Best Drinking

Cellar up to 10 years

Size

750ml