Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2021

A warmer season with early harvest resulted in beautiful ripeness with elegant fruit perfumes and perfect sugar levels. With high natural acidity present in the majority of fruit parcels, malolactic fermentation was allowed to complete. 67% of the sections were hand-harvested, gently whole-bunch pressed and transferred to French oak barriques as unclarified juice for wild fermentation. The remaining 33% was Selectiv harvested (to embrace some skin maceration), direct pressed and racked to barrel with high solids juice for wild fermentation. Each parcel was left on lees in barrel for 10 months of maturation and an additional 7 months in tank after blending, with regular battonage. The premier Chardonnay sections were a mix of 78% Gingin clone and 22% Bernard clones 95, 96 and 76. The majority of the fruit was grown at our Wilyabrup and Boodjidup vineyards with a small portion from our Karridale vineyard