Beyond varietal character

Steve Webber from De Bortoli hosted the penultimate session of the 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial, reviewing the grape variety that for many has evolved more than any other in Australia over the last decade - Chardonnay.

Anyone knowing Steve would expect nothing less than a confronting start: “I want my Chardonnay to taste of the dirt that it has been grown in, not simple varietal character.  I just think that there are more interesting things to reflect in wine: texture, feel, and dare I say it, ‘minerality’…”

Steve, accompanied on the panel by Virginia Willcock of Vasse Felix, presented 14 blind wines that he felt were taking Chardonnay to a new height. “Wines with detail” as Steve likes to call them…

In terms of capturing ‘detail’ and place, Steve highlighted the importance of getting acidity right in the vineyard; moving towards more hand-picking; improved fruit-handling; larger format oak…

The Wines: Chardonnay (tasted blind)

1. 2006 Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Chardonnay
2. 2006 Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
3. 2007 Tyrrell’s Winemaker’s Selection Vat 47 Chardonnay, Hunter Valley
4. 2007 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
5. 2007 Yering Station Single Vineyard Coombe Farm Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
6. 2007 Gembrook Hill Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
7. 2007 Voyager Estate Margaret River Chardonnay
8. 2008 De Bortoli Estate Grown Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
9. 2008 Penfolds Reserve Bin A Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
10. 2008 Domaine Epis Macedon Ranges Chardonnay
11. 2008 Freycinet Vineyard Chardonnay, Tasmania
12. 2008 Yabby Lake Block 6 Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula
13. 2008 Giaconda Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Beechworth
14. 2008 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay, Margaret River