2024 Bicknell FC Applecross Chardonnay

A beautifully poised and sophisticated Yarra Valley Chardonnay.

One of Yarra Valley’s most feted modern winemakers, Dave Bicknell emerged out of a hotbed of talent that was De Bortoli around the turn of the millennium and took Oakridge Estate to new heights. Applecross is his own venture which he founded with his viticulturist wife, Nicky Harris.

Brilliant very pale straw colour with green highlighted edges and a watery hue. Gorgeously scented, the intense yet highly finessed nose marries aromatics of white peach, nectarine and pear with dried honey, biscuity nougat, cashew and gentle infusions of gun flint. Rich fleshy white peach, nectarine, pear and dried honey flavours flow across the mid weighted palate with a gently creamed feel. Mealy biscuit, nougat, cashew and infusions of gun flint extend across the back half. Beautifully poised acidity lends some freshness to the long and expansive yet refined finish.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 13.1%

Other Reviews…..
From the now defunct Lance's vineyard in St. Andrews, planted in 1984. Whole-bunch pressed to older puncheons. The combination of a cool year and a warm site works beautifully here. A bright green gold. Aromas of perfectly ripened stone fruits meet a little grilled cashew and gentle saline scents in this gorgeous wine. Gently fleshy but with that trademark Bicknell purity of fruit and backbone. Long. Lovely. Drink by 2030.
97 points
Philip Rich - James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

I’m stunned by the concentration of fruit flavour here. If this wine called me on the telephone I’d be holding the receiver away from my ear – actually that’s not quite accurate because the flavour here is delicious, but you get the idea. The bottle cap should say Warning: Gale Force Flavour. These flavours play in the pear, grapefruit, tinned peach and lime arenas, with (subtle) flint and nougat characters as highlights. There’s pineapple-like acidity in action too, the latter emphasising just how drenched in flavour the acidity itself is, for starters, but also keeping the wine fresh and vigorous. The overall impression: A Class. Drink 2027-2034+
96 points
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front