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Certified organic. The Chardonnay is sourced from three plots within the Balmoral block at Nashdale, with volcanic chocolate ferrosol soils at 880 meters altitude, on the northeast-facing slope of Mount Canobolas. At almost 30 years of age, these are some of the oldest vines in the region.
Like 2021, the 2022 vintage was a very cool year with picking occurring about four weeks later than usual. The fruit was hand-picked in early April and whole-bunch pressed to French oak puncheons (500 litre) for primary fermentation. Byrne used 30% low-impact new oak—a very tight-grain, steam-bent barrel from the Mâconnais region of Burgundy—which he feels helps lift and focus the fruit without adding overt flavour. This year the wine went through just 10% malo to give texture and to round out some acidity. If we can borrow a phrase from the man himself, he’s using the malo akin to “hanging clothes on a clothesline”. He’s got a good line in similes, does Jeff. The wine rested in oak for ten months, with regular stirring to add flesh before blending and bottling.
It's flush with fleshy citrus, chalky and saline minerals, some toasty richness and lovely struck match reduction. Like the 2021, it's a wine of poised weight, deftly balanced by cool acidity, linear length and a beautiful grapefruit tinged, lengthy close. Serious bang for your buck here.