Meadowbank Chardonnay 2021

Meadowbank Chardonnay comes from the oldest vines on this Derwent Valley property.

Peter Dredge calls the vineyard a beautiful little spot, and his ambition in the shed is to keep his hands off it: loose sand and sandstone over iron-rich coffee rock, vines well into their thirties, and as little winemaking as he can get away with. The 2021 was picked twice, the first pass for freshness and the second for structure, and whole bunches went directly to French puncheons, only 10 per cent of them new. Ferment was wild, malolactic partial, and a fifth of the barrels were left un-sulphured so they could take on a little oxidative complexity. Nine months on lees, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

There is real drive here: lemon, white flowers, a flinty edge and a finish that narrows and keeps going. Texture without weight. Pour it at 12 degrees alongside abalone, chicken poached with ginger, or a young comte.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.