Garagiste - Tuerong Chardonnay

Planted in the late ‘80s, Tuerong is the oldest site Barney works with. The Chardonnay here is always picked first, providing a barometer for the progression of the rest of the vintage. The opportunity to work with the site came up in 2012, and immediately “had a good feel to it”. It’s his aspirational site, providing high-quality fruit that gets better every year. The fruit is hand-harvested from 34-year-old, dry-grown, north-facing vines in grey-black sandy soils over brown sandy loam.

The fruit was picked by hand and pressed as bunches for fermentation in second- and third-fill 500-litre puncheons. A small portion went through natural malolactic fermentation, and the wine rested on full gross lees with no bâtonnage for nine months before bottling. Enticing struck match reduction makes way for a glade of summer citrus, spring florals, salt flecks and a lovely doughy/leesy character. It’s vibrant and pure, with plenty of fleshy weight stitched by mouthwatering acidity and sinewy phenolics. Great length and drive, too: it’s got it all.