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This is a blend of Chardonnay (94%) and Aligoté (6%) from a single Quindalup block, certified both organic and biodynamic. Blind Corner's 150 or so vines of eight-year-old Aligoté are believed to be Margaret River's only plot of this variety. Gould is slowly grafting over more Chardonnay vines in favour of Aligoté. The Chardonnay is from low-yielding Gin Gin vines that are now more than 20 years old. Gould has painstakingly converted them from spur to cane pruning.
The parcels were hand-harvested, foot-stomped and naturally fermented in a mix of concrete egg (40%) and old barrels. Malolactic conversion occurred in the same vessels and the wine was left to rest for nine months before bottling. It only received a rough filtering to “keep the wine as close to the vineyard as possible”, as Gould puts it.
2022 was one of the most “expressive vintages” in recent memory for Gould, and this year’s Chardonnay Aligoté backs up this claim. With freshness, racy texture and sappy length, this is another lovely release, at an even lovelier price.