{"title":"Local Chardys of Interest April 26","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"la-petite-mort-chardonnay-2023","title":"La Petite Mort Chardonnay 2023","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn experiment in barrel format -\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003esize really does matter!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAlthough we fermented and aged it in a brand new, premium, French barrel, the oak influence is lessened because it was a great big puncheon (~500L) as opposed to the standard barrique (~225L). If you remember any of your high school geometry, you'll recall that as the diameter of a circle increases, the ratio of its perimeter decreases relative to the area - Less oak per litre, in other words! Gorgeous spicy, cedary French oak blends seamlessly with pithy, pink grapefruit and ripe tangelo notes in this bold, yet balanced, expression of new-school Australian Chardonnay.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e - Chardonnay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e - Australia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e - Queensland\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSub Region\u003c\/strong\u003e - Granite Belt\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExtra\u003c\/strong\u003e - Cork\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e - 2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVolume\u003c\/strong\u003e - 750mls\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003ca href=\"#pro_more_desc\" id=\"more_desc_btn\"\u003eAbout the Wine Maker \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/right-arrow_480x480.jpg?v=1647847041\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNestled close to 1000m above sea level in Queensland’s Granite Belt GI, La Petite Mort is the experimental project of head winemaker Glen Robert and his partner and Viticulturalist Robert Richter. After opting for a tree-change back in 2000 the pair purchased the Bent Road property and immediately set about planting vines. Their approach to vineyard maintenance has always been minimal and reactive – intervening only when necessary and using only organic friendly products (although they are consciously not certified organic producers).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnusual, confronting and a little left of the middle.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e La Petite Mort (LPM) is the home of our 'other' wines. These small batch, experimental wines are produced with minimal wine making intervention and put into bottle without filtering or fining to allow the raw essence of our experimentation to shine through. Rustic and characterful, LPM wines promise a unique sensory experience and a story behind every label. Winery notes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe winemaking follows a similar ethos with former biochemist Glen taking a careful and considered approach, and always with a deliberate style in mind. With a diverse and eclectic line-up spanning everything from classic Rhone blends to amphora aged amber\u003cbr\u003ewines to contemporary takes on Italian classics, at the heart of everything is the spirit of experimentation and the pursuit of rough perfection, through constant refining and honing of their skills.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStriking a fine balance between tradition and technique, La Petite Mort wines are well-made yet rustic and characterful, showcasing a host of unusual and innovative styles. Whilst the wines are bold, adventurous and certainly not for the conservative palate, they are also instructional, characterful and down-right captivating.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Petite Mort","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53296771334328,"sku":"SKU-140426062949","price":39.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/1897E398-558D-4F83-A9A6-FAEFC40A6DAF.jpg?v=1776228974"},{"product_id":"renzaglia-central-ranges-chardonnay-2024","title":"Renzaglia Central Ranges Chardonnay 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eWe were lucky and crazy enough to get the call from Gerald Naef half way through harvest offering the entire Patina Vineyard to us that year, consisting of Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Merlot. A significant and unexpected uptick in our resultant production threatened, but the prospects of working with the fruit from this rugged, meticulously managed and high quality vineyard was too good to turn down.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Chardonnay, in this case was whole bunch pressed and sent to concrete with only the very heaviest of solids left behind after settling without any refrigeration for a short, 12 hour period. From this point on, the wine was fermented by wild yeasts, without any temperature control and underwent a full secondary fermentation. It was held on full yeast lees without any stirring through the winter and was sulphured in the Spring. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final blend was brought together in January 2025 and bottled on February 20th without any fining or filtration.  \u003cstrong\u003eWinery Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 Pts\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eCampbell Mattinson\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Winefront\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e '\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eChardonnay from the NSW Central Ranges (or to be more precise: Orange). This is excellent. Excellent concentration of fruit and personality plus. Honeysuckle, lychee, peach, citrus and nectarine with cream and sweet cedar-spice notes. Full box and dice in a way, but controlled and cohesive. All this at 12.5% alcohol. Like this wine a lot.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 Pts\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAndrew Graham, Australian Wine \u0026amp; Drinks Review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e '\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e...I love the texture, indeed it’s a mark of all the Renzaglia wines, with this feeling intense, thick (a good thick), mouthfilling, yet it snaps and crunches properly too. Wonderful. No doubt the winemaking helps with the texture – wild ferments, full malo, carefully handled solids, the lot. It’s a bit funky, but not cheesy, with custard apple. lemon, yeasty aftershave musk, layers of marzipan and meringue, with a lovely lemon tang contrast. Well done.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e - Chardonnay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e - Australia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e - New South Wales\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSub Region\u003c\/strong\u003e - Central Ranges, Orange\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eExtra\u003c\/strong\u003e - Screwcap\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e - 2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVolume\u003c\/strong\u003e - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e750ml\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003ca id=\"more_desc_btn\" href=\"#pro_more_desc\"\u003eAbout the Wine Maker \u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/right-arrow_480x480.jpg?v=1647847041\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"pro_more_desc\"\u003eMark \u0026amp; Sandy Renzaglia took on the challenge of establishing a small vineyard in O’Connell Valley near Bathurst in 1997. There was no power, no town water, no neighbours growing grapes, just determination. Now their son Sam is on the hunt, taking Renzaglia Wines to the next level, seeking modern expressions from grapes sourced locally, and really pushing the conversation around responsible, sustainable, respectful farming in NSW. Renzaglia The family home, the Bella Luna Vineyard, and the winery are nestled in the rolling hills of the locality of O’Connell. It looks out over the O’Connell Valley to the north-east and further towards the Winburndale Nature Reserve, Mt Ovens and Mt Horrible. From this patch of dirt, the Renzaglia family have been tending to two acres of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot since 1997. Recent plantings of Tempranillo, Grenache, Shiraz, Viognier, and Chardonnay were added to the mix in 2020, plus Sangiovese this year. \u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Renzaglia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53296771662008,"sku":"SKU-140426063209","price":39.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/B467A7B9-3F4E-4B5B-B014-E78B56A81E8E.jpg?v=1776229034"},{"product_id":"ottelia-chardonnay-2024","title":"Ottelia Chardonnay 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2024 Ottelia Chardonnay is sourced from the Mount Gambier wine region within the Limestone Coast. The vineyards are planted in fractured limestone, which forms much of the surface cover in this relatively flat but undulating area lying a few meters above sea level. Underlying the limestone is a ribbon of shallow but fertile soil that allows the vines to develop in this challenging soil profile. The surface limestone is very flinty, contributing to the mineral elements in the wine. \u003cstrong\u003eWinery Notes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 Pts Mike Bennie, The Wine Front '\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen you see those articles with ‘here are ‘x’ wineries to watch in ‘xxxx’ year’ you usually get an indication of some pretty good wine producers to cast a net over.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eI would have Ottelia in most such lists over the past few years, and reiterate that phrase again, here is a winery to watch. It feels like the 1%ers have been happening year on year. There’s some fairy dust happening amongst the concerted producers of Mount Gambier too – they feel like they’ve broken their horses in and are off at a gallop now. Also, how is the value here?!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis one had me at hello. It shows off savoury wafts, almond, sea spray, ginger biscuits, proper, also, waxy honeycomb, green apple. Flavours are set to a similar line-up and there’s a little chalky pucker amongst some gloss and shine to texture. It waddles across the palate, gently staining in it, then finishes with all the brine, green herbs and pink grapefruit freshness reminiscent of a fine Paloma cocktail. Utterly delightful, and a cut above. Reminds me of Chablis of yesteryear when minerality was the byword there.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e - Chardonnay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e - Australia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e - South Australia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSub Region\u003c\/strong\u003e - Mt Gambier\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eExtra\u003c\/strong\u003e - Screwcap\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e - 2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVolume\u003c\/strong\u003e - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e750ml\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003ca href=\"#pro_more_desc\" id=\"more_desc_btn\"\u003eAbout the Wine Maker \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/right-arrow_480x480.jpg?v=1647847041\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"pro_more_desc\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn and Melissa Innes moved to the Coonawarra region 25 years ago, planning, as John put it, to 'stay a little while.' They purchased land featuring natural wetlands dotted with Ottelia Ovalifolia, a native waterlily. Since then, they’ve spent nearly half their lives on the Limestone Coast—John working as a winemaker and consultant across its distinctive wine regions, and Melissa opening a restaurant on their property. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn knows the area inside out, from Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, Mount Benson, to Mount Gambier, along with their unique soils and climates. It’s that deep knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm that he brings to Ottelia. His winemaking philosophy was shaped by five formative years early in his career under the guidance of esteemed Italian winemaker Carlo Corino, who taught him that great wine starts with exceptional fruit and time spent in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'The winemaker’s role is to capture and manage the fruit quality from the vineyard through to the finished wine. The vineyards that I work with are all managed in a sustainable way to produce fruit that is of optimal quality and flavour. These vineyards minimise the use of sprays and concentrate on maintaining a healthy environment and vineyard. While not organic, they adhere to the fundamental principles of low input and sustainable viticulture.'\u003c\/em\u003e John Innes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ottelia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53296780443832,"sku":"SKU-140426063336","price":30.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4211\/3208\/files\/E0E773E6-69D4-4284-B8D1-4BF1A417CA43.jpg?v=1776228942"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.vauclusecellars.com.au\/collections\/chardonnays-of-interest-april-26.oembed","provider":"Vaucluse Cellars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}