WTN: Toolangi Estate Chardonnay 2004

13% A/V Screwcap

Made at Yering Station in Victoria's Yarra Valley by that winery's very talented winemaker,Tom Carson, this Outstanding Chardonnay displays a still very youthful bright straw/green colour. The bouquet harbours a wealth of nuance - combining creamy ripe white peach and fig fruit with complex worked barrel characters of meal, grilled nuts, struck match and char. In the mouth the wine exhibits a lovely balance of similarly etched fruit and oak with a creamy mouthfeel, beautifully counterbalanced by natural minerally acidity and a crunchy, lingering aftertaste. This fine wine delivers pure, somewhat unevolved, hedonistic pleasure and will last for several years if stored in a dark, cool place. At AUS$35, this wine deserves a rating of 92 points and the remainder of the six pack it came from, will soon adorn a special little possie in my cellar.

[Jenise]

13% A/V Screwcap

Made at Yering Station in Victoria's Yarra Valley by that winery's very talented winemaker,Tom Carson, this Outstanding Chardonnay displays a still very youthful bright straw/green colour. The bouquet harbours a wealth of nuance - combining creamy ripe white peach and fig fruit with complex worked barrel characters of meal, grilled nuts, struck match and char. In the mouth the wine exhibits a lovely balance of similarly etched fruit and oak with a creamy mouthfeel, beautifully counterbalanced by natural minerally acidity and a crunchy, lingering aftertaste. This fine wine delivers pure, somewhat unevolved, hedonistic pleasure and will last for several years if stored in a dark, cool place. At AUS$35, this wine deserves a rating of 92 points and the remainder of the six pack it came from, will soon adorn a special little possie in my cellar.

Sounds delish, David--I love chardonnays, big and small. But I was surprised at the price--I realize that my impressions of Aussie wine prices are based on a visit now eight years in the past, but $35 seems quite high for chardonnay where I seem to remember the top drops in that category being more affordable, like 20ish. Do I have a screw loose, or have prices climbed that much?

Sorry for the elongated time in replying, Jenise. Prices have escalated at a rate over here since your last visit but mostly for the super premiums, cult and boutique wines. Overall, I'd rate most quality Aussie wines as still being extremely good value compared to the prices being asked for equivalent quality European and American wines. But, no doubt, that's to be wholly expected on most local markets. I often see much higher prices being asked for local wines in overseas markets to what's paid here. A case of horses for courses, I reckon.