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1999 Rosemount Estate Chardonnay

South Eastern Australia,
$11. 99
Bottle
$143.88 Dozen
Closure: Cork

Notes sourced from Rosemount Estate.

Chardonnay is one of the world's most popular quality grape varieties. It is a vigorous variety that adapts well to a wide range of soils and climatically it is well suited to the excellent conditions of the Australian climate, where the variety has become known for producing distinctively full, rich and complex wines. Fermentation and maturation in oak barriques greatly enhances, complexity and serves to underscore the inherent generosity of the variety.

The Chardonnay fruit for this wine has been selected from Rosemount's Hunter Valley vineyards, With a proportion of McLaren Vale and Murray River Valley fruit used for added palate richness. The 1999 vintage in the Upper Hunter Valley was remarkably fine, with exceptionally high quality fruit of excellent varietal character being harvested in warm, dry conditions. Elsewhere weather patterns were less flavourable, although good vineyard practice resulted in high quality fruit being delivered to the winery at the end of the season.

Following gentle crushing, the must was chilled in order to prevent loss of flavour. The grapes were pressed as quickly as possible and the juice cooled and held for 48 hours to allow the grape solids to settle - The clear Juices were racked to fermenting tanks and selected yeast added to initiate a stable fermentation. A proportion of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation whilst ageing in French oak, with the rest being matured on lees in tank, with the component parts being brought together into the final blend after substantial tasting.

The 1999 Rosemount Estate Chardonnay has a straw yellow appearance with a full, fresh aroma of citrus fruits. A creamy background hints at the judicious use of oak and lees in maturation. The palate is generous and soft with full ripe tropical fruit flavours folded over a creamy back-drop. Beautifully structured and long finishing, the wine will make a fine accompaniment to a wide variety of foods and is delicious on its own.