It was a wonderful, cool year so we picked it by hand fairly late, and the fruit came in looking pristine.
Tonic Wines
About The Wine
Few wineries enjoy the feverish scramble for their new releases like Tonic Wines. And the fever is well deserved.
They make painfully small batches of wine - in the case of this Chardonnay only 120 dozen - and with the excellent quality and value over the last few vintages, it's no surprise.
This Chardonnay is sourced from the Bowe-Lees vineyard in Woodside, Adelaide Hills. The 2017 spent 40 hours on its skins before being basket pressed to barrel where it lay untouched, unstirred on lees for around 9 months. No malo.
Simple yet incredibly successful winemaking. With only a small allocation available, this may be your last chance to try this fascinating take on Chardonnay. Don't hesitate.
About The Producer
Tonic Wines has only been around for a short time but the wines have caused quite a stir.
These are small batch, handmade, minimalist South Australian wines with an aim to source high-quality parcels of fruit, picked early to capture freshness and vitality.
Tonic declares "We don’t really believe in boring wine", and with the remarkable Chardonnay, Grenache, Mataro and Nebbiolo released thus far, there are no signs of boring here.
These wines are produced in painfully small amounts, sometimes as little as 50 dozen per wine. If you are curious about this winery with mystique, you'll have to act quickly to try their delicious wares.

Clare Valley, SA