At lunch at Melitos in the Yarra Valley over the weekend I had the pleasure of ordering the Yeringberg Chardonnay, a wine that I had tried before but not had the opportunity to enjoy over food. Yeringberg a winery with incredible pedigree (one of the first in the Yarra Valley) makes excellent wines and the 2020 Chardonnay is no exception.
THE VINEYARD
Yeringberg is a Yarra Valley farm, vineyard and winery, was established in 1863 and now heading into its fifth generation of de Pury family. In 1969 Guill and Katherine de Pury (already the 3rd generation wine makers) commenced replanting vines, which have been producing beautiful fruit bottled into wine since 1974. Sandra de Pury has been the wine maker since 2008 and her brother David de Pury manages the vineyards.
Fully crushed and destemmed with several hours skin contact. Mainly barrel fermented, 25% new hogsheads and 25% mlf. A bright, medium green gold. Lovely aromatics with yellow peach and nectarine fruit as well as subtle oatmeal and grilled nuts. Orange blossom and a hint of matchstick too. Textured and bright in the mouth, I like the touch of grip on the long and satisfying finish.
Philip Rich – Wine Companion August 2022
WINE MAKING
The fruit for the estate Chardonnay is fully crushed and destemmed with several hours skin contact, to extract extra phenolic flavour compounds, and add a smidge of texture on the palate. Mainly barrel fermented, and aged in 25% new hogshead barrels. Only 25% of the wine has gone through malolactic conversion, meaning that a great deal of the life-giving malic acid (think sharper ‘green apple’ like acid) is retained, ensuring great precision and freshness, and only a moderate dimension of creaminess, in the final wine.
FACTS
Grape | Chardonnay 100%
Oak | –
Seal | Screw Cap
Production | –
pH | –
Acidity | –
Alcohol | 12.5% ABV
Residual Sugar | –
Drink By | 2028
Tasting Date | June 2023
Price | $74 AUD
“Bright straw yellow hue. Lemon curd, butterscotch, and almond meal aromas. The palate offers a deep golden stone-fruit note that is bound around a warm wax and butterscotch complexity. Acidity keeps it flowing well to a richly textured finish”
Stuart Knox – The Real Review February 2023
TASTING NOTES
There is a wonderful richness to this wine and it stays in balance from the beginning to the end. It’s complex but approachable, firm on the palate but friendly, light in colour and bright on the nose. There are flavours of pineapple, a yeasty (think fresh bread), some more classic stone fruit characteristics say apricot or nectarine that come through with the acid which is in excellent balance.
The oak is there but definitely not overwhelming this is a wine that opens beautifully in the glass and is wonderful on the palate with lingering intensity.
Sometimes you will taste a powerful chardonnay and think wow this is amazing but I couldn’t drink more than one glass. This is not one of those wines, I could easily sit down to enjoy the bottle with food (which is exactly what I did).
SIGHT
Clear & Bright with good viscosity.
24/25
NOSE
Lovely aroma, true to the varietal with no faults and a lingering intensity
23/25
PALATE
Rich and complex with excellent fruit and length, not overly concentrated.
24/25
FINISH
Excellent balance between the acid and the fruit, nicely integrated wine with a long after taste.
24/25
REVIEWS & AWARDS
- 95/100 points – Sebastian Somerled, Almanak Magazine
- 91/100 points – Stuart Knox, The Real Review
- 96/100 points – Philip Rich, Wine Companion
LINKS
- https://www.yeringberg.com.au
- https://winecompanion.com.au/wineries/victoria/yarra-valley/yeringberg/wines/white/chardonnay/yarra-valley-chardonnay/2020