2025 Patrick Sullivan Willow Lake Chardonnay
2025 Patrick Sullivan Willow Lake Chardonnay

2025 Patrick Sullivan Willow Lake Chardonnay

93 pts
Patrick Sullivan |Yarra Valley |Chardonnay
A fresh, heritage-vine Chardonnay from one of the Upper Yarra's best Chardonnay vineyarrds.
Price:
$75.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Another first-time release for Pat, the Willow Lake Chardonnay comes from Gladysdale in the southern end of the Yarra Valley. These are some of the oldest vines in the sub-region, planted between 1979 and 1982 at an elevation of 300m.

The surrounding forests create a unique mesoclimate that Pat says contributes to a particularly supple structure and rich aromatics.

The wine is incredibly fresh, leading with lime sorbet, citrus peel, and white peach. It spent 10 months in barrique with 30% new oak, adding a layer of roasted citrus and a subtle, nutty complexity that never overwhelms the fruit.

The palate is bright and textured, with a taut acidity that provides excellent focus and energy. It’s a clean, persistent white that feels both nimble and rich at the same time. This is a smart addition to the Sullivan stable, just a couple of hundred cases made.

93 points - "Medium yellow with a brightness, and fresh cashew nut, bread crust and malt aromas, undercurrents of dried fruits, and a trace of smoked charcuterie. The palate is intense and taut, with a lightness that suggests it will reward more time, while the finish is medium-long and linear. Savoury more than fruity, and will repay a bit of patience." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

93 points - "Salted pastry dough and almond meal, green mango, white peach and pear, a little mint. It’s a fleshy wine, quite nutty with a cinnamon oatmeal character, a juicy and ripe cut to crisp pear and lime acidity, a grainy grip to it, a distinct flavour of Biscoff biscuits lends richness, and the finish is nutty and offers good length. It’s a bold and unctuous expression of Yarra Chardonnay, different, quite savoury, yet interesting and quietly compelling." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

Willow Lake Vineyard is located at Gladysdale in the Upper Yarra, with vines planted
between 1979 and 1982, making it one of the oldest sites in the sub-region.
Gladysdale sits at the southern end of the valley where surrounding forests create a
mesoclimate that contributes to the supple structure and rich aromatics

characteristic of the area.

The vineyard is situated at 300 metres elevation on slightly north-facing slopes,
composed of volcanic basalt-derived soils that encourage deep root development.
Viticulturist Tim Wray has been at Willow Lake since 1996, and focuses on ecosystem
balance to produce strong and healthy vines for high quality grapes.

WINEMAKING: The fruit was hand harvested into
transferred to the winery, then whole-cluster

crushed into the press and
drained off into tank for settling. Primary
fermentation took place in barrique (30% new)
over three weeks followed by complete
malolactic fermentation. Lees stirring
occurred weekly until the completion
of malolactic fermentation. The wine was then
aged in barrique for ten months.
NOSE: Lime sorbet, fresh citrus peel,
white peach, roasted hazelnut.
PALATE: Bright yet textured, fruit balanced
by taut acidity giving focus and energy.
Subtle richness carries gentle nutty oak
complexity, the finish clean and

persistent.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Chardonnay
Country Australia
Region Yarra Valley
Australian State VIC
Reviewed By The Real Review
Critic Score 93
Alcohol 13.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2025
Closure Screw Cap

Patrick Sullivan

The wild-haired Patrick Sullivan is a farmer first, a winemaker second.

His pride and joy is his vineyard in the Strzelecki Ranges in the Gippsland G.I. of Victoria. On this plot of land, Pat farms with organic principals alongside Bill Downie, one of the most revolutionary winemakers of his generation.

Bill takes the Pinot Noir from the vineyard, Pat takes the Chardonnay. The Chardonnay wines emerging from his cellar are some of the most exciting in the country. Addicted to volcanic soils and the power and energy that those soils bring to Chardonnay, Pat is amassing a formidable stable of Chardonnays that articulate a small slice of Australia's ancient terroir.

The wines are un-tinkered with, fermented in neutral vessels with little or no sulphur and are made to express their special site and the vagaries of vintage. In Pat's words, "The wines are inspired by emotion, a moment in time and a sense of place."

Pat Sullivan - Gippsland, VIC Patrick Sullivan

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