Savour the taste of summer all year round with our latest release, a crisp and refreshing chardonnay. The subtle oak, lovely fruit characters and saline acidity make the 2022 Chardonnay an excellent food wine. Try it with Sal’s Pasta alla Gricia, which has become a Mair family favourite.
The 2022 season was an exceptional year for white grapes. High winter rainfall topped up the soil profile prior to a mild spring and a hot, dry summer which continued through to harvest. Another seasonal highlight was the prolific blossom on the native Marri trees which kept the birds in the forest and away from the vines. With no pressure from birds or disease we were able to make timely picking decisions leading to optimum flavour, sugar and acid balance in the wine.
Grace Farm is situated in the ‘Golden Triangle’ of the Margaret River wine region, in the lee of the Leeuwin Ridge in Wilyabrup. The maritime influence provides cooling breezes which ameliorate the effects of summer heat and produce elegant flavour profiles in the wines. The vineyard is characterised by the distinctive forest grove soils which are typically of low to medium fertility.
Tasting notes from Jono Mettam - Winemaker
2022 Chardonnay was hand-picked at optimum ripeness and gently whole-bunch pressed into French oak barriques where indigenous yeasts completed the fermentation to dryness. Floral aromas of white peach, almond meal and flint mesh with subtle oak overtones. On the palate mouth-filling flavours of peach, fresh mango and lemon pith are complemented by the delicate minerality of the oak. Saline acidity balances the richness and creaminess of the fruit.
Vinification
The chardonnay grapes were hand harvested in the cool of morning on February 22, 2022 and then chilled overnight. The whole bunches were then pressed the following morning directly into a combination of 30% new and 70% second fill French oak barriques. The juice then underwent an indigenous yeast fermentation to dryness which took a period of 12 days. The wine was matured in barrel for a further 10 months, racked out of barrel on November 21, filtered and bottled on 25 November 2022.
Analysis
Be°: 12.55 degrees (at harvest)
Alc: 13.0%
pH: 3.30
TA: 6.2 g/L