Hay Shed Hill|Margaret River|Premium Wines

Block 6 on the Hay Shed Hill vineyard was planted in 1975 to the Gin Gin (or Mendoza) clone of Chardonnay. These old dry grown vines have sunk deep roots into the gravelly loam soil profile providing the nutrient basis they need. Block 6 has a steep south facing aspect reducing the sunlight interception by the vines and is therefore the coolest block on the vineyard, ideal conditions for Chardonnay. 

VINTAGE

The 2011 Margaret River vintage was incredibly different to other parts of the country, in which floods ravaged and conditions across middle and eastern Australia resulted in disease and lack of fruit ripeness. By comparison, the Margaret River vintage was extremely successful, with a very early and clean vintage and one of the driest and warmest summers on record. The unirrigated vines thrived in the hot conditions, with leaf quality and function maintained through to harvest. The result was excellent fruit across all varieties, with the Chardonnay particularly bright and expressive. 

WINEMAKING

Only free run juice was used in the making of this wine, this component of the juice is the highest in quality with the most intense fruit expression and the lowest in undesirable phenolic skin characters. The clear juice was fermented in French oak barriques; 30% new with the balance being one, two and three years old. The wine was matured in the same barriques for a further 10 months. No lees stirring or malo lactic fermentation was allowed in order to preserve and highlight the purity of fruit expression. The objective was to make a wine that expressed the character of this superb vineyard in an elegant and restrained style of wine that would be bright, vibrant and fresh in its youth but benefit from medium term cellaring. 

APPEARANCE

The wine has a brilliant appearance with great clarity and the lightest of green hues. 

NOSE

The 2010 Hay Shed Hill Block 6 Chardonnay has mineral aromatics with background savoury flinty notes from the barrel fermentation. The fruit is in the fresh white pear spectrum with perhaps some citric elements.

PALATE 

The palate is complex with good carry over of fruit expression in the citrus and pear spectrum. Vibrant and with a lightness about it this wine is so far from the old fashioned Australian Chardonnay of the 80’s. The old vine depth of fruit gives this wine a complexity not seen in most Chardonnay, there is always more to find in the wine without it being over worked or over blown. This is a fine Chardonnay that has a depth of flavour and texture that will stand up in a fine dining situation.

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