Vineyard

This vineyard is the original Chardonnay vineyard at Bloodwood, and as such is responsible for much of the perception of quality that today surrounds Orange Chardonnay as a style. This vineyards low vigour friable soils are derived from a mixture of laminated siltstones and massive volcaniclastic sandstone, over a deep, free-draining pale substrate on a northerly slope of 15 degrees or so. Rows are angled East/West on a pretty close planting of 1.2 by 2.2 metres. The vines are from the traditionally reserved P58 Chardonnay clone, and are trellised to a moderately formal VSP trellis system. Because of the low vigour in both the clone and the site, a mixture of cane and spur pruning is used in this vineyard to better balance the vines according to expected seasonal conditions.

Vintage Conditions

The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different!

Vintage 2022 reminded us of those we used to experience in the mid eighties and early nineties. It was very cool and late by this centuries standards beginning with Chardonnay on the 16th March and ending with just ripe Shiraz in late April. Yields were moderate because we pruned for tough ripening conditions and although the acid and pH levels were on the bright side, fruit flavours were lovely. Given the tough conditions, (733 mm during the October to April growing season) it was vital that fungicide programmes were consistently protective to ensure good clean fruit at vintage. Luckily, we had a run of dry and warm days from 4th of February to the 25th of March only interrupted by a moderate fall in early March which dragged the vintage home in good clean shape here at Bloodwood.

Winemaking

The initial approach for the Chardonnay is much the same as the Schubert, although the grapes are usually picked a few days earlier. The hand‐picked fruit is whole‐bunch pressed in an air‐bag press to 1.1 atmospheres with the low phenolic juice transferred to an insulated tank for overnight settling and subsequent racking. Some fines are allowed to pass into the racking tank where, under gentle warmth, the juice commences fermentation.

After a Brix or so conversion, the newly moving juice is split into 20% well seasoned old oak with the balance fermented to dryness over25 to 30 days in stainless steel.

After primary fermentation is completed, both parcels of the wine are sulphured to inhibit malo‐lactic fermentation, stirred and transferred to our cool maturation cellar where the blend spends six to eight months on fine lees. Stirring only occurs if too many reductive notes are seen. The wine is then bench trialled, cold stabilised, protein fined and sterile bottled in October following vintage. Pretty simple approach really with the wine mostly making itself. All I've got to do is avoid stuffing things up.

pH 3.15

Acidity 7.8g/l

Alc/Vol 12.8%

Tasting Notes

Bright green-gold in colour, this Chardonnay, through its honey dew melon and chalky aromatics, displays a mealy-textured, generously soft palate of nectarine and melon fruit notes. And yet, after all the

subtle minerality and deliciousness so typical of our old Chardonnay vineyard, there remains a refreshingly bright presence at the absence of this wine.

Al/Vol 12.8%