2020 Mount Mary Vineyard, Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Australia
Critics reviews
Sliced pineapple, cooked apple and flint aromas. Complex. Full-bodied with layers that show beautiful al dente fruit. Brioche. Buttered croissant. Fresh and so satisfying.
Drink now
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (November 2022)
Bright, light-mid yellow colour with a quite strongly reductive matchstick bouquet, the palate is rich and full as well as refined and seamless, with lip-smacking dryness and impressive length—flavours of stone and pome fruits, harmonious with no single feature dominating. Intense and stylish, the concentrated flavour is backed by structure, which doesn't rely on an overt tannin grip.
Drink 2022 - 2033
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
About this WINE
Mount Mary Vineyard
Mount Mary has an exalted reputation in the wine world and has accrued a somewhat cult following. Established in the Yarra Valley in 1971, with an annual production of around 3,000 cases, it continues the legacy of its founding father, winemaker Dr John Middleton -who died aged 82 on 27 June 2006- to produce superbly refined, powerful Cabernets and elegant, long-lived Pinot Noirs. The Triolet blend and Chardonnay are two superb offerings from the white stable. It's just a pity so little is made!
Yarra Valley
Victoria’s oldest viticultural area dates back to 1837. Initially it won admiration and trophies for its dry wines before losing out first to the fortifieds from South Australia, and then to the dairy cow. The 1960s saw its revival with Dr Bailey Carrodus founding Yarra Yering in 1969, closely followed by another medic, Dr John Middleton, launching Mount Mary in 1971.
Famous for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the region has attracted interest from sparkling houses, notably Domaine Chandon as well as from one or two corporates; Melbourne’s continued sprawl represents the biggest threat to this Victorian idyll.
The climate is cool maritime (it’s just 15 miles to the ocean), exposed to wind and rain with spring frosts a potential risk. The region’s warmer northerly aspects are preferred for viticulture. The best soils are underpinned by a low vigour, red-brown clay subsoil, while a significant swathe of the region is characterised by vigorous deep-red loam.
Recommended producers: Toolangi, Mount Mary
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This 2020 Chardonnay is deliberately made with a slightly reductive nose, giving aromas of struck flint along with ripe yet fresh notes of macerated lemon. The palate is fine and pure, full of more ripe lemons but with a citric twist. A fine line of acidity runs through its core along with the sensation almost of a citron pressé. The finish is long and vibrant with touches of green apple and light toast mixed with a sherbet zing.
Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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