RockBare Chardonnay 2014
Dry
6.8
3.16
This is a real show stopper. It’s textural and nutty with delicate honeydew melon and peach flavours mingling with ginger, toast and spice, partly due to the wild ferments that give added complexity and funk. With masses of creamy texture balanced by limey acidity, to say this chardonnay is delicious is an understatement. Enjoy it with chicken, crayfish or runny aged brie.
Lifted aroma of nectarine, fragrant lemon myrtle and verbena spiked with a calming trace of oatmeal and subtle spice.
100% Chardonnay
Rich and fleshy upfront palate of peach, fig and honeysuckle complimented by hints of exotic mangosteen and rambutan which seamlessly fuse with a refreshing mid palate lemon curd creaminess. Tempting, subtle secondary threads of hazelnut and almond butter are further enhanced by a mealy complexity from lees stirring. The sherbert like acidity is vibrant throughout providing cleansing support and extending into a pleasantly lingering, zesty tangerine finish.
Machine harvested during the cool of the night in late February 2014. Primarily long cool ferments in stainless steel, with aromatic yeasts to retain freshness as well as a small percentage fermented naturally in large format oak. Blended post completion of primary fermentation then lees stirred twice per week for 6 months. Bottled under sleek and classy Stelvin LUX screwcap to retain freshness.
Dry
6.8
3.16
The RockBare Chardonnay has enjoyed some great success in recent times and I'm hoping this wine will further enhance its reputation. The consistency of fruit has been amazing with full credit to our diligent grower. Sourced from the higher climbs of McLaren Vale, this chardonnay ripens very late in comparison to the rest of the region but is brimming with full flavour as well as mouth watering, crisp acidity.
The only hindrance from the weather was the high winds at flowering which marred fruit set and restricted yields. Our usual cautious approach was taken in monitoring the vineyards, waiting until those endearing tropical flavours appeared in the fruit prior to harvesting. 75% of the juice was inoculated with yeast that enhances the aromatics of the wine and ferments were run very cool to retain valuable volatiles. The balance was fermented in large format oak to enhance depth and richness whilst giving a funky edge to the wine. Six months of lees stirring was undertaken post fermentation in order to complement the mid palate texture and also give a slight nutty complexity.