2021 Swinging Bridge Hill Park Chardonnay
2021 Swinging Bridge Hill Park Chardonnay

2021 Swinging Bridge Hill Park Chardonnay

Swinging Bridge |Orange |Chardonnay
A finely etched Chardonnay from one of Orange’s highest and and coolest sites.
Price:
$74.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship, only 4 units left
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Description

Block 7 of the Hill Park Vineyard sits at 900 metres above sea level on a south-facing slope and is one of the last places in Orange to ripen each year. It’s a site of real nuance, broken into three distinct soil types, each managed and harvested separately to capture the vineyard’s full spectrum of flavour and texture.

The 2021 vintage was cool and slow, with yields down but quality high  - ideal conditions for crafting structured, expressive Chardonnay. Winemaker Tom Ward handled the fruit gently, whole-bunch pressing and fermenting wild in French oak, with 25% new. A short élevage on lees (eight months) adds subtle weight and complexity.

This is a taut, focused wine - citrus peel, white flowers, a little almond meal and struck match complexity. There’s richness here, but the shape is long and fine, driven by acidity and subtle chalky phenolics. A standout regional Chardonnay from one of the Orange region’s most serious producers.

96 points
"A masterclass in cool-climate chardonnay, proof that you don’t have to sacrifice flavour at the altar of acidity. Candied grapefruit zest, white peaches, tarragon, pine/lime splice. Tight and racy. Flavour without fat, and the kind of thrilling acidity that courses through you and sends sparks flying from your extremities."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)

95 points
 "Full to the brim with bright pineapple slices, white peach and yellow apple. A flinty reduction is complemented by perfectly ripe lemon rinds, marigold blooms and toasted popcorn kernels. The palate is leesy with a lactose creaminess and the acidity is powerful and undulating. The Hill Park site again delivers potency of force in a graceful manner, showing why Orange is in the driver's seat of cool-climate chardonnay."
- Shanteh Wale (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "A masterclass in cool-climate chardonnay, proof that you don’t have to sacrifice flavour at the altar of acidity. Candied grapefruit zest, white peaches, tarragon, pine/lime splice. Tight and racy. Flavour without fat, and the kind of thrilling acidity that courses through you and sends sparks flying from your extremities." - Nick Ryan (The Australian)

95 points - "Full to the brim with bright pineapple slices, white peach and yellow apple. A flinty reduction is complemented by perfectly ripe lemon rinds, marigold blooms and toasted popcorn kernels. The palate is leesy with a lactose creaminess and the acidity is powerful and undulating. The Hill Park site again delivers potency of force in a graceful manner, showing why Orange is in the driver's seat of cool-climate chardonnay." - Shanteh Wale (Halliday Wine Companion)

Swinging Bridge is a family-owned winery with a proud 100-year farming heritage. Based in the cool-climate, high-elevation region of Orange, we are committed to making wines that perfectly reflect the vineyard and the region. Our select single block series is produced in very small quantities. These bottles embody the best of the vintage from carefully selected vineyards that have produced outstanding fruit. They encompass the essence of that vineyard.

Planted in 1998, Block 7 on our Hill Park Vineyard is a true showcase of cool-climate Chardonnay. Situated at 900 metres, the block is located on a south-facing slope with rows running East–West, making it one of the last sites to ripen in Orange. The block has three distinct soil types, which are managed separately to ensure the fruit is balanced and the highest quality possible.

EXPLORE THE VINTAGE

Vintage 2021 was a change from the run of dry years from 2017–2020 and the warmer weather that they delivered. The vintage began with a snow event just after bud burst on the October Long Weekend, which caused some loss of shoots and others to have slow growth. This, along with low bud initiation from the previous years’ dry vintages, led to one of the lowest crops we had ever experienced.

The cool weather continued until Christmas, and we then had a reasonably dry and warm January. We picked any Chardonnay before the large rain events in March. The low yield was ideal for Block 7 as it enabled the fruit to both ripen very quickly and retain beautiful acidity, meaning it produced some of the best conditioned fruit we have seen in Orange.

APPRECIATE THE WINEMAKING

Hill Park Chardonnay is hand-picked and then cold stored for 24 hours. It is then taken straight to press as whole bunches. The juice is taken to tank and left for 24 hours, before racking straight to barrel with the inclusion of some solids. The oak is about 25% new, in which the wine is wild fermented for eight months.

It is stirred every couple of weeks initially, then once a month depending on the barrel and the structure that is required. A majority of Damy barrels of varying age were used for the Block 7, giving delicacy and structure to the wine.

ENJOY THE CHARACTERISTICS

Colour: Clear, pale lemon.
Nose: Bright zesty lemon, sweet baking spice, and pastry.
Palate: Medium bodied with vibrant youthful acidity. Flavours of lemon curd and biscuit.
Food Pairing: Charred leek and potato soup.

⸻

Technical Details
• Harvested: 10 March 2021
• Residual Sugar: 2.1 g/L
• pH: 3.38
• TA: 8.85
• Alcohol: 12.3%
• Maturation: 10+ years
• Bottled: 9 December 2021

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Orange
Australian State NSW
Size 750ml
Vintage 2021
Closure Screw Cap

Swinging Bridge Wines

Swinging Bridge is one of Orange’s premier producers.

This producer has always served up extremely well-priced, classically styled wines, but recent years has seen the quality and variety go to another level.

Owner/winemaker Tom Ward has a vision for Swinging Bridge to be renowned for its premium Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and for innovation, and they're making great strides.

Their Chardonnay is already as good as any in the region; the Pinot Noir, while early days, is winning trophies and shows great promise, the innovative '# Series' is full of all sorts of deliciously quirky experiments.

An excellent producer and a leader for the future for Orange and NSW wine.

Tom Ward of Swinging Bridge Swinging Bridge

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