Audrey Wilkinson Winemakers Selection Chardonnay 2018

The Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard is located in the foothills of the Pokolbin Mountain range at an elevation ranging between 142 180 m above sea level.

Virtually all the vineyard has a north to north-west facing aspect on gentle slopes.

The site uniquely has a broad mix of specific soil types, hard sandy shale based soils through to reach Terra Rossa style soils derived from the marlstone base underneath. Ancient marine fossils regularly work their way to the surface in these areas.

This mix of soil types and to the inherent complexity of wines made from grapes grown on them and the Winemakers Selection Chardonnay draws upon to distinct soil types in particular.

The sandy loam soils at the lower elevations of the vineyard, where our oldest Chardonnay vines are, and the red soils as described above.

The Hunter Valley is notionally a warm climate viticultural area, with problematic humidity and rainfall at harvest. Due to the ingress of the valley towards the centre of the country, it also receives drying winds and weather patterns from inland Australia which helps counter the humidity, whilst relatively consistent cloud cover during the growing cycle helps keep temperatures down.

Grapes for this wine were sourced primarily from a number of specific sites on the the Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard. Vine material varies from our original 1973 Lake Block Chardonnay, to 20 year old cuttings of , through to more recent inclusions of Burgundian clones.

This Chardonnay was hand picked off our 40 year old vines near the front gate of the Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard and lightly pressed to tank. In tank it was allowed to settle then racked to new, 1 and 2 year old French oak barrels and topped up with 4% lees to increase autolysis which contributes a creamy texture. Warm fermentation up to 25°C to increase flinty, matchstick notes. The wine was then matured in oak for 7 months, then lightly fined with skim milk, stabilized, filtered and bottled under screw cap.

100% of the wine was matured in oak for 9 months, with 30% going to in new French puncheons and barriques, with the remainder going into one and two year old French puncheons and barriques and topped up with 4% lees.