2019 Brooks Chardonnay
“Margaret River is known for Chardonnay of both richness and minerality; at Cape Mentelle we explore it through the lens of clone and site, with climate giving us exciting new parameters yearly.”
Brooks Chardonnay takes its name from our Chapman Brook Vineyard, established in 1994 in the cool southern half of Margaret River, the main source of our Chardonnay.
The cooler climate captures the freshness and vibrancy of the variety, and when combined with a subtle oak influence and juicy natural acidity, produces an appealing fruit-driven style with great richness and balance.
Nose
This wine bursts forth with ripe pineapple, golden delicious apple, and lime zest characters, with enticing hints of lemon curd tart, sweet cream, vanilla pod, and a touch of cedar smoke. Lingering floral notes of jasmine and citrus blossom intermingle with toasted almond, cashew, and hints of yellow peach to charm.
Palate
The bright minerally yet rich palate is fine and focused with delicious vanilla custard creaminess and poached apple overlaying green melon and juicy cucumber freshness. The fresh finish is long, displaying toasted hazelnut and a vibrant lemon juiciness expressing the mineral core of this viscous yet flinty chardonnay. The oatmeal biscuit and cinnamon notes from the oak are well integrated and complex.
Blend
Chardonnay 100%.
Cellaring
Delicious upon release, this wine will continue to build in complexity for six years plus.
Food Pairing Notes
The juicy accessibility of this wine lends itself to a wide array of pairings; some favourites include Meyer lemon and asparagus risotto, fresh scallop sashimi drizzled with chilli infused lime oil, kingfish carpaccio with pickled green mango or a simple cheese board with aged cheddar, comté and brie served with quince paste and dry roasted almonds.
The Vineyard
The estate fruit is sourced from Chapman Brook and Crossroads that are both spur and cane pruned, derived from the Gin Gin selection of chardonnay plus Burgundian clones 95 and 76 and one patch of Californian clone 5. Chapman tends to have a cooler continental climate and is the coolest of our estates, whilst Crossroads experiences strong maritime influences of tempering winds and rains. Picking, decided by taste, occurs by both hand and by machine, to achieve the best mix of richness and freshness and spanned from March 6th to the 28th beginning and ending with Gin Gin clone blocks.
The Season
An unusual winter with low rainfall in May and July with a completely dry June was followed by a very wet August. A mild cool spring delayed flowering by 10-12 days across our estate vineyards but conditions greatly improved to give warm sunny weather. A “vintage made in the vineyard” could not be more apt; warm humid conditions necessitated timely canopy management to prevent disease and maximize fruit exposure. A wet January (52mm) gave way to a bone-dry February, with mild conditions which accentuated complexity, and delivered grapes with a fine thread of acidity and minerality.
Winemaking
Following gentle pressing and overnight settling, the juice is racked off its heavy solids into Burgundian oak barrels and stainless-steel fermenters, where the alcoholic fermentation occurs with both selected and wild yeasts. Partial malolactic fermentation proceeds to give a balance between rich, round palate weight and floral, mineral fresh elements. The wine then matures with oak on lees (yeast solids) for eleven months, then lots are selected for their fresh, fruit forwardness and subtle oak characters, filtered lightly and bottled before the following harvest.
Analysis
14.5% alcohol, 6.25 g/l total acidity, 3.24 pH. Suitable for vegetarians.
