Description / Reviews
"The By Farr chardonnay comes from the same site as the Sangreal pinot noir— composed of red soil over limestone—and was planted in 1994. The limestone of this site is not exposed on the surface as at other sites. The limestone starts 20 to 30cm below the surface, to the depths of the root zone of the vines. It is a very exposed north-facing slope. The clones used for the chardonnay are a mixture of Dijon clones and Penfolds 58. The trademark characteristics of the wine produced on our site are understated power and length with a mineral finish. The wine has a great fruit expression that is well integrated with French oak. The soil characteristics have come through in the style of wine we have today. The palate is fine but firm, with great acidity, texture and length. This wine is rich in flavour, yet very refined." - Winemaker Notes
"The nose is lovely, welcoming, it offers notes of ripe fruit, the smells in the glass are so evocative, this has all the elements that make you want to drink it. The palate, sleek but generous. Whenever I write a note like that I'm aware that it's weird. What is sleek but generous? I mean that it is balanced. The weight of the wine is in the goldilocks zone, there are no angles that aren't aligned, it feels smooth, chiselled and in proportion. The generosity of it comes from the intensity of the flavour. Sleek can be perceived as diminutive, but this wine is not that. It's powerful, streamlined and draws your attention. As always, to talk just of fruit is too simple. This wine tastes of soil, flint, river pebbles, things you don't immediately think to put in your mouth, but it's the smell of them that triggers the recognition. This Chardonnay is complex, layered and thrilling. Find oysters to eat while you drink it, find a sea breeze and a view. Find a friend to sit next to, or drink it thinking of them." - Ben Knight, Wine Writer
