Wilimee 'Cambrian' Chardonnay 2024

I was recently tipped into the Wilimee wines from someone in the industry down in Vic and I am very thankful for it! These are great wines with a great ethos behind them. Chardonnay and Pinot are what is planted on the estate, and in small quantities. Farming is organic and thoughtful, with biodiversity in the vineyard and soil health below the surface of key importance to winemaker Ben Ranken.

The 2024 Cambrian Chardonnay strikes a nice balance between ripeness/generosity and a taut acid backbone. Yields here are tiny (500g of fruit per vine, compared to a ‘normal’ yield in other parts of Australia being 3-4kg). Macadamia and grapefruit are some of the flavour descriptors that jump out at me, on top of the more typical stone fruit flavours of white peach and apricot. It sits round in the mouth at no expense of direction, where acid is humming with freshness. – Ches Cook, Five Way Cellars.

Once hand harvested with careful sorting in the vineyard, the bunches were partially crushed by foot and very gently pressed, directly to barriques. Natural fermentation occurs in 33% new oak barriques (Francois Freres MOG, medium toast, Dargaud & Jaegle Vosges, medium toast) with 100% malolactic fermentation. Lees ageing in barrel for 12 months, followed by four months in stainless steel on fine lees, before racking (according to the new moon) and bottling, unfined and unfiltered, no stabilisation. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulphur. No refrigeration used throughout the winemaking process. Winery note