MOUNTADAM VINEYARDS HIGH EDEN CHARDONNAY
Screw Cap
Like the reds, this is a stunning wine. Simply wonderful.
Barossa Valley, South Australia
2016
14% ABV.
100% Chardonnay
75cl
£25.95
Price includes VAT
Tasting notes:
On release the wine is pale straw in colour. It displays classic Chardonnay characters of peach, nectarine and fresh figs. French oak barrel fermentation and maturation gives the wine secondary aromas of cashew nuts and mixed spices. The palate has a complex mix of peach, citrus, cashew nuts, subtle truffle and spice characters throughout. The mid palate is round and creamy but a clean citrusy acid backbone provides length and persistence to the wine. The wine is complex with no single character dominating the wine. The flavour of the wine persists long after it has left the mouth. The wine will continue to reward careful cellaring for up to and possibly beyond 2026.
About the wine:
Harvest of the Estate Chardonnay blocks commenced in early March 2016. The fruit was harvested at night and gently pressed using a bag press. The juice was fermented in 50% new French barriques, the balance in 1 and 2 year old barrels. The wine was intermittently stirred (battonage) throughout the maturation period. The wines underwent malolactic fermentation prior to racking and being returned to the same barrels. The individual parcels were racked from barrel after on average 12 months maturation in oak and the final blend carried out.
About the producer:
Established in 1972 as one of Australia's pioneer Chardonnay producers, Mountadam was founded by the late David Wynn, without question one of the most significant contributors to the Australian wine industry and an important part of the Mountadam story.
Amongst his many achievements, David Wynn is credited with the invention of the wine cask; he founded Wynn's Coonawarra Estate and transformed Coonawarra reds during the 1960s and '70s.
In selecting the land for the Mountadam vineyard, Wynn was the first to recognise the potential of a cool, elevated site to produce wines of great elegance and structure, chosing an area high above the Eden Valley, which he named High Eden. At 550m above sea level, Mountadam is in fact the most elevated vineyard in South Australia.
Current owner David Brown bought the estate in 2006 and one of many significant investments included the instalment of Con Moshos as head winemaker, following a distinguished 23-year career making fine wines at Petaluma. The Eden Valley wines are gently made and lean towards cool climate, old world charm, the Barossa valley wines veer more towards new world generosity and roundness.
