Tasting Notes. Pale straw, with lustrous shades of green. The aroma expresses pristine varietal characters of white nectarine, ripe citrus and stone fruit as well as a subtle flavour profile of sweet, exotic spice. The palate is complex, structured and layered showing excellent balance between the expression of vibrant fruit and the secondary characters of roasted spices, soft cheese and toasty characters derived from fermentation, aging and lees stirring in French oak. Enjoy now or cellar for up to five years.
Wine making. During ripening the winemaking team spent many hours tasting grapes in the vineyards to determine the precise point at which each parcel of fruit displayed optimum flavour intensity and vibrancy. Grapes were hand harvested at first light whilst temperatures were low and transported to the winery for gentle whole bunch pressing. The juice from each vineyard was maintained as a single batch and fermented in a range of new and seasoned French oak barrels. Some parcels of juice were fermented with wild yeast whilst a portion was inoculated with a selected yeast strain that would protect the purity of the fruit captured in the vineyard. Post fermentation the wine underwent lees stirring and 10 months barrel maturation to build lovely layers of texture and complexity. Blending occurred in November. The final wine expresses the Domaine Chandon winemakers’ vision of a unique, yet utterly regional Yarra Valley chardonnay.