Wine Front 93+ Points!
Mike Bennie 93+ Points!"...This gets about 40% new oak, 10 months. Pascal Marchand is the higher power in fruit selection, overseeing and looking at the blends for these wines. Bit of a doff of the hat to Burgundy/Chablis therefore.
Soft toasty, nougat notes, fancy oak here, sandalwood fineness, citrus blossom and light, fine appley aromas. Subdued power, can certainly feel the even concentration settled beneath the fine sheath of grainy oak. Very clear and pure fruit flavours, baked apples, stone fruits, pastry, but light and fresh and brightly weighted. Touch briny, which translates to easy drinking refreshment, brisk to the finish but with long lasting flavour. Complex and delicious, in its more restrained, yet set-to-blossom, kind of way."
The Wine Front, April 2012
Vintage 2010
The 2010 vintage was another challenging yet rewarding vintage for the premium, southern grape growing regions of Western Australia. Winter rainfall was close to the long term average. The growing and ripening seasons, while largely warm and dry were punctuated with rains and windy conditions that did affect set and subsequent yields in the Chardonnay clones.
Warm, dry weather in late summer and early autumn delivered even ripening as the harvesting of Chardonnay continued throughout March. The mild end to the season saw all varieties ripen perfectly with high natural acidity and fine fruit structure.
Fruit Sourcing
The 2010 Marchand and Burch Chardonnay is sourced from the south facing slopes of two individual vineyards sites in the Great Southern grape growing region of Western Australia.
Both vineyards are planted to the Gin Gin clone of Chardonnay and as such yields are typically low.
Fruit and Juice Handling
Each batch is hand-picked at between 12 .2 to 12.7 Be.
The individual parcels of grapes are cooled overnight then hand sorted before whole bunch pressing to extract only the free run juice.
The chilled fruit was slowly hand sorted to remove any damaged bunches and leaf scraps, then conveyed to the press. Whole bunch pressing was used to extract pristine juice with an minimum of phenolics and very fine grape solids.
Fermentation
After minimal settling, the juices are allowed to ferment naturally in a combination of new and older French oak, with a maximum of 40% new oak in each batch. Temperature is controlled between 18C to 22C and the lees are stirred during the maturation period.
Maturation
After fermentation the separate parcels are matured on lees for 10 months. A portion of each wine undergoes malolactic fermentation during this period.
Finishing
After 10 months in barrel, the wine is blended to tank and receives minimal fining and filtration prior to bottling in the January of the year post the vintage. The wine is released after 6 months of bottle maturation.
Wine Notes
A bright straw in colour with retained green hues. The bouquet is a complex of citrus fruit, struck flint, beeswax, brioche and flora notes. Restrained by zesty citrus fruits through the middle pallet, the wine has delicate underlying layers of nutmeal and hazelnut crème wafer which provide a rich texture that is balanced by a finishing mineral acidity.
Cellaring
The restraint and elegance of the Marchard & Burch Chardonnay will allow the wine to age gracefully over the next 6 to 8 years.
Technical data
pH 3.14, Titratable acidity 7.19 g/lt . Alcohol 12.5%v/v
Marchand & Burch Wines 2011
Country:
Australia
Region:
WA-(Other)
Variety:
Wine White - Chardonnay
Size:
750mL
