Ben says
★★ Great Wine “This Chardonnay has a fragrant nose with a saline, mouth-watering palate. Fresh white pear intertwines with peach, hazelnut and lemon peel. You can feel the alcohol from this warmer vintage but its still fresh with a mixture of bittersweet phenolics and mellow, ripe tropical fruit on the finish.“
KEY POINTS
Varietal Chardonnay with 13.5%. Fruit selected from a single north-facing block of closely planted vines 240m above sea level. Hand-picked then sorted before whole bunch pressing in French oak puncheons with natural, wild fermentation. It is matured on lees for 10 months in French oak, 20% new, and further ageing in tank.
Grown in: Yarra Valley, Victoria, South AUSTRALIA.
Food Pairing
A warmer vintage Chardonnay that keeps its bright, fresh qualities like this has the structure and texture to pair really well with a flavoursome seafood bisque or a treat like lobster. It’s also going to work well with roast chicken and all the trimmings.
Disclosure & Price
Tasted at the vineyard cellar door as part of a paid-for tasting experience. Find in the UK for circa £47.50 at Just in Cases.
Reviewed and tasted: 27/03/2024
About the Producer
Oakridge Wines started in the Yarra Valley’s expansion in the 1970s with Horst “”Jim”” Zitzlaff planting vines on a four hectare cherry orchard in Wandin East, which later became the Five Oaks Vineyard block.
Oakridge made its name for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines, and moved its production to the Coldstream in 1998. The Zitlaffs sold to Evans & Tate, who employed winemaker David Bicknell in 2002, who continues to run the operation today. Bicknell has continued to work at Oakridge under the D’Aloisio and Atlas families between 2007 and 2021 and since 2021 under Paragon Wine Estates. The vineyard is managed by chief viticulturist Steve Faulkner. Today Oakridge produces a wide range of wines, including its top label 864 Block, which has been lauded by critics like Halliday.
