2021 Vasse Felix Margaret River Heytesbury Chardonnay
Grape
Chardonnay
Its Origins
As the moderate climate of Margaret River is becoming Australia’s centre of premium winemaking, Vasse Felix are leading the pack in recognition and can, in fact, lay claim to having been there first. It was the founder Dr Thomas Cullity whose planting experiments were confirmed when in 1966 experts identified Margaret River as a near homoclime (same climate as) Bordeaux. Luckily those commissioning the studies, and the local newspaper that published the details, had no idea how significant they were, and in 1967 Cullity had little competition in finding the best site - which he cleverly did in redgum country with red gravel above and clay lying below. Here at Margaret River’s first vineyard, Vasse Felix, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec and Riesling. The latter variety was to be the label’s first success (in 1972), showing the white wine promise of the cooler Margaret River, which is now as famous for Chardonnay as it is for Cabernet Sauvignon. Regarding Cabernet itself - which is the winery’s flagship - the acknowledged experts at Vasse Felix have a distinctive take on this variety, revealing the elegant and aromatic nature of the grape so that that at times it seems to compare as much to Burgundy as it does to Bordeaux. With an established reputation but also the strictest artisanship and organic, sustainable practices - including being on the cutting edge of industrial recycling - Vasse Felix are not only masters of their art, but stayers in the game.
What The Critics Say
97/100 Huon Hooke
"I don’t know whether it’s a strange thing to say, but I always think that VF Heytesbury is the benchmark for ‘Modern Australian Chardonnay’, and maybe that over Margaret River character. Light-mid yellow colour with a butterscotch overtone to the complex bouquet, toasted nuts, shortbread and rich sweet-fruit middle palate within a taut and disciplined framework. Tremendous line and length: the finish reverberates for a long time. A quite magnificent chardonnay. It's offering more at this tender age than the usual super-reserved Heytesbury. Drink 2023 - 2036"
97/100 The Real Review, Aaron Brasher
"Green, youthful and bright appearance in the glass. Lifted and complex aromas of struck match, melon rind, grapefruit, white flowers, sweet pastry and nougat. Powerful, driven and focussed on the palate, with stone fruit, grapefruit, mandarin and nutty oak. Multi-faceted ... layers and layers of complexity. Super long palate, ultra sophisticated. World class gear here Drink 2023 - 2033"
96+/100 Parker's Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin
"The Heytesbury Chardonnay remains one of my favorite Chardonnays to buy in Australia, and it was a hugely significant wine in the stylistic evolution of Australian Chardonnay. Its success in the Australian show circuit in 2010 (and Willcock's success in being awarded "Winemaker of the Year," among other accolades at the time) has cemented it as a desirable style (full solids, wild ferment), and today, most premium Australian Chardonnays are made in this manner. My opinion is that the wine is released too early, and as a result, many people do not get to experience the joy of an older (and seemingly ageless) Heytesbury Chardonnay. An impressive tasting each year. The 2021 Heytesbury Chardonnay is as Heytesbury usually is—complex, firmly textured, coastal and briny, with layers of flesh and spice folded in on the palate. The wine ages tremendously, and the release cycle really does it no favors, as the wine seems to come into its own several years after release. It really is a shame about commercial reality! You get salted white peach, brine, saltbush, green apple skins, tea leaves, graphite/pencil box, tobacco leaf and cilantro. It's a sensational wine, and it will be even better in time. It was fermented wild, matured for nine months in French oak barriques (56% new, the balance one to three years old) and settled for six months in tank thereafter. Super wine. Piercing. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2023-2036"
| Variety | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Australia |
| Closure | Cap |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Alcohol | 13.00% |
| Maturity | 2023 - 2036 |
This Wine Goes Well With
Taste
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