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Dexter Chardonnay 2023
$48.90
Consistent with previous vintages from this site, the concentration and power of 37 year old Chardonnay vines on grey sandy clay loam soil is evident, especially in 2023. The wine has deep layers of pickled lemon rind, mandarin skin and crunchy white nectarine with refreshing acidity. It has a richness and thickness to the structure with hints of flint and white pepper similar to the 2019 Chardonnay. This is a very generous and refreshing Chardonnay that can be drunk now but will also age well.
Each clone on our single vineyard site was picked separately when they individually reached optimal ripeness. This was followed by gentle whole-bunch pressing into separate tanks and settling overnight. They were then transferred to 500L French oak puncheons (19% New, 19% second use, 19% third use and 43% older) to undergo fermentation. During maturation the barrels were stirred occasionally depending on their flavour profile. Some barrels went through natural malolactic fermentation. For this vintage 80% completed MLF. The wine was left on yeast lees until December to develop structure; it was then transferred to tank to prepare for bottling. The wine was bottled early January 2024, 10 months after harvest.
Moderate temperatures throughout a wet spring and into flowering resulted in healthy canopies with slightly lower than average yields. La Niña continuing into yet another year resulted in above average rainfall over the summer. Moderate temperatures during late summer produced slower ripening than usual but the grapes retained high levels of natural acidity along with great concentration of flavour. Although the weather reduced crop loads, quality and flavour remained strong.
| region | Mornington Peninsula |
|---|---|
| size | 750 |
| vintage-year | 2020 |
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