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Description
Chris Catlow is one of Beechworth’s best producers. The level of detail applied his exploration of Chardonnay is exceptional.
This Yarra Valley Chardonnay is a wine of intensity and extreme precision. The fruit is sourced from the famous Lusatia Park vineyard in the Yarra Valley. Chris chooses to pick this fruit a little later than many other winemakers from the region, looking for full flavour development with acid retention before the fruit comes off.
This is straight up basket pressed as whole bunches, the fruit as the soloist, oak playing second fiddle. The length is wonderful. The expression is pure.
Strap yourself in, this is one of the best examples of Yarra Chardonnay we have seen this year.
95 points
"It shows in both generosity of fruit and fineness of structure in this stunning '23. Bright, concentrated aromas in melon and citrus fruits, pear, nectarine and gentle spice, buttery and flinty. Smooth in texture, almost luscious, and well composed with a touch of tangy acid drive to close."
- Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)
95 points
"The range of wine here is largely superlative. This said, the chardonnay style is a lean, almost combative one... Sexy oak rims, subtle and embellishing, rather than lording. Hints of toasted hazelnut, praline and the barest hint of fruit. Phenolics as much as freshness, playing their structural hand. A lean, barely mid-weighted chardonnay that stands to fill out very well. Drinkable now, but best from 2027."
- James Suckling
95 points
"There’s a good hit of creamy texture to the palate, which is waxy and fulsome. Lemon butter, pear, pastry dough, grapefruit pith, and preserved lemon burst through the mouth while being wrapped up in a sheath of attractively bitter phenolics and lemon rind-drenched acidity. Good draw of length. The wine’s waxiness and savouriness work beautifully with the fruit, with ample structure to frame it all. Packed with interest."
- Tom Kline (Inside Burgundy)
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