Wine Overview
Selected chardonnay grapes from the Porongurup region have been hand picked and whole bunch pressed, using slow wild ferments in small French oak barrels to produce a wine with complex aromas of cashew, grapefruit and lemon blossom. The palate structure is fine and elegant with great oak integration, generous mouthfeel and palate length.
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Composition: |
100% Chardonnay |
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Vintage 2010: |
The 2010 vintage was another challenging yet rewarding vintage for the premium, southern grape growing regions of Western Australia. Winter rainfall was close to the long term average. The growing and ripening seasons, while largely warm and dry were punctuated with rains and windy conditions that did affect set and subsequent yields in the Chardonnay clones.
Warm, dry weather in late summer and early autumn delivered even ripening as the harvesting of Chardonnay continued throughout March. The mild end to the season saw all varieties ripen perfectly with high natural acidity and fine fruit structure. |
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Fruit Sourcing: |
The 2010 Marchand and Burch Chardonnay is sourced from the south facing slopes of two individual vineyards sites in the Great Southern grape growing region of Western Australia.
Both vineyards are planted to the Gin Gin clone of Chardonnay and as such yields are typically low. |
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Fruit and Juice Handling: |
Each batch is hand-picked at between 12.2 to 12.7 °Be.
The individual parcels of grapes are cooled overnight then hand sorted before whole bunch pressing to extract only the free run juice. |
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Fermentation: |
After minimal settling, the juices are allowed to ferment naturally in a combination of new and older French oak, with a maximum of 40% new oak in each batch. Temperature is controlled between 18°C to 22°C and the lees are stirred during the maturation period. |
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Maturation: |
After fermentation the separate parcels are matured on lees for 10 months. A portion of each wine undergoes malolactic fermentation during this period. |
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Finishing: |
After 10 months in barrel, the wine is blended to tank and receives minimal fining and filtration prior to bottling in the January of the year post the vintage. The wine is released after 6 months of bottle maturation. |
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Technical Notes: |
pH 3.14, Titratable acidity 7.19 g/lt . Alcohol 12.5%v/v
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Tasting Notes: |
A bright straw in colour with retained green hues. The bouquet is a complex of citrus fruit, struck flint, beeswax, brioche and flora notes. Restrained by zesty citrus fruits through the middle pallet, the wine has delicate underlying layers of nutmeal and hazelnut crème wafer which provide a rich texture that is balanced by a finishing mineral acidity.
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Cellaring Notes: |
The restraint and elegance of the Marchard & Burch Chardonnay will allow the wine to age gracefully over the next 6 to 8 years.
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Past Vintage
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