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2022 Reserve Chardonnay
$125.00
$750.00
2363 in stock
The Reserve range continues to be the best of what we are able to produce in a given vintage. Our 12th consecutive release of our Reserve Chardonnay, 100% of the fruit for this wine is from our oldest Chardonnay vineyard, the Lagan Estate. The low yielding vineyard produces bunches with characteristic ‘hen and chicken’ architecture typical of the Gingin clone. Natural fermentation on fruit is encouraged to further emphasise the personality of this wonderful site, resulting in a medium bodied Chardonnay offering pear puree, zesty grapefruit flavours and a quartz-like, almost crystalline, mineral edge to the structure.
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- Viticulture
- Tasting Notes
- Winemaking
- Professional Reviews
- Related Wines
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Viticulture
Chardonnay |
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2022 |
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Margaret River |
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After a long, and relatively cold and wet winter, budburst was later than usual, and about a week or two later than last season. Spring brought about more wet and windy conditions, which also affected fruit set. Despite the late start to the season, the fantastic WA summer saw warm, fine weather and a few very hot periods, allowing the growing season to catch up. Marri trees had a bumper year for blossom, which always bodes well, distracting birds from away from the fruit (at least for the first half of the season while the blossom lasted). There was no significant weather pressure early in the vintage, in fact the warm conditions meant the whites were harvested at a frenetic pace to preserve natural acidity. Yields were relatively low however the fruit quality was excellent with great flavour intensity. In summary 2022 will be remembered as an outstanding vintage in Margaret River. 100% of the fruit for this Reserve Chardonnay is from our oldest Chardonnay vineyard, the Lagan Estate. The low yielding vineyard produces bunches with characteristic ‘hen and chicken’ architecture, typical of the Gingin clone. We encourage natural fermentation, on fruit from this vineyard, to further emphasise the personality of this wonderful site, directly adjacent to the winery. |
Tasting Notes
Pale Straw. |
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The bouquet of this elegant, yet powerful Chardonnay displays fresh pear and lime characters with underlying hints of roasted cashews and frangipani adding complexity. |
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The sophisticated palate is medium bodied with a wonderful purity of fruit, offering pear puree, zesty grapefruit flavours and a quartz-like, almost crystalline, mineral edge to the structure. Pristine fruit and tangy natural acidity focus the wine to a crisp, lingering finish. |
Winemaking
13% |
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750ml |
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3.06 |
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All of the fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed followed by 100% barrel fermentation in select French oak (24% new oak). Fermentation was allowed to occur naturally, with the wild yeasts introducing more complexity and personality into the wine. Barrels were lees stirred throughout a nine-month oak maturation period, without any malolactic fermentation. Only the best barrels were selected for the final blend, curated in November 2022. The 2022 Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay is made from qualifying grapes at a winery certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. |
Professional Reviews
98
Product of the excellent, albeit quite small, ’22 vintage. Heady stuff on the nose with distinct pear and edgy lime characters with notes of oatmeal and cashew. The palate is layered with nuances emerging at every turn. A crystalline edginess cuts through, while complex flavours of quince, lemon pith and grapefruit reveal. There’s a dry savouriness that completes the palate which carries through to a very long finish. This has lots of cellaring time ahead of it.
97
The 2022 Reserve Chardonnay is richer and more voluminous than the racy Steven's Road, and the wine exhibits a capacious mid-palate that tends to expand and widen as it progresses through to the long finish. This is a wine of profound complexity and length, yet it is steely, restrained and mineral in the extreme. Salivating acidity clinches the deal.
96
The reserve shines this vintage, coming across all superfine and linear, yet layers upon layers of flavour. Ginger florals, lemon balm and all manner of citrus charm. Ultra-refreshing with a live wire of acidity gathering all the elements and taking them on a joy ride. There’s a millefeuille effect of lees, fruit, oak and spice so this turns out moreish, savoury and complex. But above all, just a great drink.
95
This wine earns Two Merits in The Real Review Wine Classification of Australia.
A very youthful wine, with a light colour and a fresh, youthfully undeveloped aroma. It’s shy and reserved; oak is there but quite low-key. In the mouth we see grapefruit and lemon and their acidities which give the wine a tension and bracingly taut structure—not quite austere, but it would dearly appreciate more time in the cellar to unwind its potential. Smoky/flinty reduction appears with time and swirling in the glass. It promises to be a stunner in another year or so. (Screwcap)
95
The Reserve range represents the best of the vintage and 100% of the fruit for this wine comes from Xanadu’s oldest Chardonnay vineyard, the Lagan Estate. These grapes are the Gingin clone, which is specific to this area and gives the wines their signature style.
Gold Medal
Gold Medal
Review
Xanadu is one of Margaret River’s earliest vineyards, established in 1977. It is just four kilometres from the town centre, and an equal distance to the coast. The 2022 vintage over there was generally pretty small, but what the fruit may have lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality. This is a powerful chardonnay but sits snugly inside an elegant framework. That flavour of grapefruit, so common in many Margaret River chardonnays, is leading the way here and it carries the length of the palate. There’s a squeeze of kaffir lime too, but then sweeter notes of peach and stone fruit to balance everything. The slight bitterness of struck match and cashew bring savouriness and further complexity. All in all, there’s quite a bit happening. The length is a feature too, rattling along on the back of bright acidity. It’s not cheap, but this is good drinking now and for quite a few years to come. One for the special occasion.
