A recent tasting with 12 highly regarded and varied Australian Chardonnays and a pair of French ring-ins.
Unfortunately we had a few faulty bottles, but the results were still quite interesting when the wines were revealed. As it turns out, my two favourite wines and the overall preferred wines of the tasters were the only two that were sealed under screwcap (Cullen and Pierro, which were both double decanted into non obvious bottles before the tasting) …
2000 Mount Mary Chardonnay
Oyster shells, minerals and smoke to begin with, but after a very short time it went all rubber and garlic dominant. Palate went the same way as well. Likely a faulty bottle.
NR/100
2002 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay
Bold nose, toasty oak, lemon and brioche. Also quite big on the palate with spice and the alcohol and oak evident on the back palate. A bit too over the top in style for me, but others liked it more.
84/100
2002 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
Mineral, stonefruit and lime with a touch of florality on the nose. Elegant on the palate, but there is still some weight to the flavour. Good length and finishes clean. Well made, if not extremely exciting.
88/100
2000 Bannockburn SRH Chardonnay
Mildly corked.
NR/100
2004 Cullen Chardonnay
An elegant nose with pear, peach and slate. Excellent texture and the flavour really lingers on the palate. A stand out, classy wine.
92/100
2002 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Some musk, pineapple and well integrated oak. Lovely on the palate, really good length and mouthfeel. Fruit intensity is spot on. Lots of potential from here.
90/100
2002 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay
Corked.
NR/100
2004 Bindi Quartz Chardonnay
Graphite, oatmeal, citrus, peach and nutty aromas. Full bodied palate, with great depth of flavour. Alcohol stands out a bit and brings this down from being excellent, but not enough to put me off too much. Very good and may be better if the alcohol manages to settle.
89/100
2004 Bass Phillip Premium Chardonnay
Extremely floral on the nose, wet stones and sawdust. Viscous texture, but is reigned in by a long line of acid. Different in style to all the other wines tasted, but very enjoyable.
90/100
1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
Oxidised. Smelled of cognac. Palate was dreadful. When revealed, the premature oxidisation made some sense.
NR/100
2002 Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay
Smoky coconut oak, leesy and with signs of oxidative handling. Palate was bold and seemed to lack focus. Very disappointing when revealed.
81/100
2002 Blain-Gagnard La Boudriotte Chassagne-Montrachet
A fresh, clean nose of lemon, peaches and meal. Very good structure to the tightly wound palate. Good length. Struggled a little bit to make its mark against the other wines, but it is still clearly good.
88/100
2003 Pierro Chardonnay
Nutty, grapefruit and a deft touch of oak to the nose. Superior balance and depth on the palate. Finishes long and satisfying. Surprisingly elegant for a Pierro, but this seems to be the new style for the winery based on the last few vintages. My favourite wine of the tasting.
92/100
2002 Giaconda Chardonnay
Toast, spice, honey and flint on the nose. Nice length and balance to the palate with a richness to the fruit that provides a pleasing mouthfeel. An excellent wine to finish proceedings.
91/100