1999 Yarra Ridge Chardonnay

Notes sourced from Mildara Blass.

Yarra Ridge, established in 1983, is one of Australia’s leading cool climate wineries. The succession of trophies and medals at National wine shows attests to the consistent high quality of the wines.

The fruit for this wine was sourced from vineyards in the Yarra Valley at Dixon’s Creek, Coldstream and Yarra Glen. The Yarra Valley is a premium cool climate region, and as such allows the grapes to ripen slowly, thus achieving full varietal flavour development whilst retaining good levels of natural acidity.

Numerous winemaking techniques have been used in making this wine, including barrel stirring, lees fining and solids fermentation. No malo-lactic fermentation or oxidative handling was used as the style of Yarra Ridge Chardonnay is aimed at allowing the full expression of the fruit characters of the grape. Barrel fermentation was utilised and maturation was in the same French and American oak barrels for up to 6 months.

The Yarra Ridge Chardonnay is a wine with finesse and elegance, yet intensely flavoursome with a backbone of cool climate acidity and freshness. The vibrant youthful colour is very appealing. The nose displays Chardonnay fruit characters of peach, melon and citrus/grapefruit intermingled with cedary oak. On the dry, medium to full-bodied palate the wine has intense fruit flavours with a refreshing, crisp acidity and rounded creaminess, complemented by the subtle influence of both French and American oak. Cellar up to 4 years.