2021 - Blank Canvas, Reed Chardonnay

The 2021 Chardonnay Reed Vineyard is pure, harmonious and suave, caressing the mouth with its gentle texture and purity. It's not showy but a wine worth getting to know: it provides cognitive and sensory pleasure. You can expect almond, oatmeal, smoky nuts and party popper aromas. Yes, party poppers. I really love the smell of party poppers, so I want to keep smelling this and having a little party shimmy. Pure and textural with a gourmand character that will make you want to lick your cheeks to keep tasting it. Already good; this is going to be great.

Winemaker Matt Thomson: 'I'm doing less and less with Chardonnay. This is hand-picked clone 95, whole-bunch pressed, free-run juice mixed and then into puncheons so all the wine has the same amount of solids. Leave them for 10 months with no additional SO2. No stirring. A light bentonite fine. We add 30 mg/l SO2 early on and we usually end up with 10 mg/l total pre-fermentation.' (He believes 10–15 mg/l (depending on the barrel size) is sufficient to inhibit the development of mousiness until they add more SO2 post malo 10 months later.) 30–40% new oak. Strong struck-match aroma. Lovely precise, clean palate and definitely flinty ('because we don't stir'). Bone-dry finish and lots of fruit on mid palate. A wine you'd love or loathe. I love it. (JR)