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2016 Mount Mary Chardonnay

Yarra Valley, VIC

Scintillating Chardonnay release from this iconic vineyard. "welcome to Flavour Country..." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

HIGH SCORE

$100.00

About
Love this. Real Chardonnay. I reckon it’s pretty good drinking ’round about now, too.

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

About The Wine

The famed old vines on the Mount Mary estate yield some of the finest Chardonnay in the district.

Sensitive winemaking from Sam Middleton and respect for the fruit is at the core of this wine. Sam looks to support the Chardonnay with high quality oak (around 30% new), a relatively hard pressing to extract more in the way of texture and some lees stirring. Malo is avoided to retain acid purity.

Here, Sam Middleton pulls together an exceptional Yarra Chardonnay. There are few who managed to craft such a wine from the 2016 vintage. Sam nailed it.

In the words of James Halliday, this is "a sophisticated wine destined for a long life."

About Mount Mary

One of the great Australian domains is in the form of its life with young Sam Middleton as head winemaker.

The list of accolades for the great Mount Mary is long and rich. They are one of the country's most celebrated and collectable family-owned estates.

From the impossible balance of the iconic Quintet and Triolet blends to the scintillating Chardonnays and the rare and almost mythical Pinot Noir, there is not a hair out of place in the Mount Mary line up.

With Sam Middleton in charge of the winemaking process, Mount Mary is entering its second golden age as one of the jewels of the Yarra Valley.

Mount Mary winemaker Sam Middleton
Mount Mary winemaker Sam Middleton
Photo Credit: Ewen Bell / Wine Australia
Additional Info

From The Producer

We aim to make a Chardonnay with great length, which reaches a balance between richness and elegance.

While some techniques are borrowed from the Burgundians, there are some departures from traditional practice in response to local factors, which ensures a unique wine. The most notable of these is that our Chardonnay does not undergo malolactic fermentation, as our local climate leaves the fruit with ideal acidity when it is picked.

Our Chardonnay is matured in 30% new French oak barriques with the remainder in older barrels and large casks (1500L). The entire production is barrel fermented. Relatively hard pressing is employed to give the wine texture and lees stirring is carried out to add complexity and body.

The Chardonnay is matured in barrel for 11 months prior to bottling.

Blend : Chardonnay (100%)
Closure : Screw cap
Drink Until : 2028
Bottle Size : 750ml

Expert Reviews

Critic Reviews

96Points
Halliday Wine Companion

"Clones P58, Mendoza, I10V1, 76 and 277, hand-picked, destemmed and crushed, barrel-fermented with a wide range of cultured yeasts, 11 months in French oak (27% new). Pale straw-green; very youthful in every respect; attention to detail has lead to a sophisticated wine destined for a long life. - James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion

96Points
The Wine Front

"I tasted all these 2016 wines from barrel last year with the affable Sam Middleton, who I feel, is leading this grand estate to new heights.Gold in colour, it’s not a shy Chardonnay by half: welcome to Flavour Country. Nectarine, white flowers, fresh mint, honey and pecans, and just a pleasant amount of struck match complexity. Glossy and glycerol, sizzled butter and nuts, yet fresh and floral, flinty elements at play, grapefruity acidity, long, rich and nutty to close, yet curiously fine throughout. Love this. Real Chardonnay. I reckon it’s pretty good drinking ’round about now, too." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Delivery

Delivery is Free for any order of $99 or more, or just $10 for any orders less than $99. There is no minimum order quantity and you can order in any combination you like. Make your perfect mixed pack!

Estimated Delivery Times for each postcode can be viewed here.

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Our Heat Policy can be viewed here. If you would like us to hold dispatch of your order for milder weather please leave instructions to do so in the 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box found on the cart page before the final checkout. We are happy to hold it for as long as you like. All orders are fully insured so you can buy with full confidence that these tasty beverages will get to you in tip-top shape.

Returns are free for 100 days after purchase. You can view the conditions of our return policy here

For any other shipping related inquiries, please see our helpful FAQ, email us at hello@differentdrop.com or call us on 02 8376 8775..

FaQs

Do I have to order in dozens? No, please mix it up! You can order wines in any quantity and variation you like. You can order 1 bottle or 50. We challenge you to make the ultimate mixed pack of wine!

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I am trying to add more of a wine to my cart but it won’t let me? This means we are running low on stock of that wine. So for example, if the website will only allow you to add 3 bottles and no more, then that is all we have of that particular wine. The good news is we may be able to order more for you. Just contact us on 02 8376 8775 or hello@differentdrop.com and we'll organise the additional quantity for you.

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More FaQs: here